


Proposal On Detours

by Charles_Z_Earp



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: "Leap Year" remake, Champ is a Doctor, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Kissing ensured, Nicole is Irish, Romance, Slow Burn Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Waverly is American, Wayhaught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-03-17 13:57:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18966628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charles_Z_Earp/pseuds/Charles_Z_Earp
Summary: The young and idealistic interior decorator Waverly has a master plan.Every detail of her live is precisely planned ahead of time, especially one thing, which is to marry her successful long-term partner Champ soon. He does not suspect her wish and travels to Dublin for work. Waverly travels after him to take matters in hand herself. Following a tradition there, a woman has the right to file an proposal every four years, exactly on February 29th. The weather intervenes though, and the completely overwhelmed woman ends up in a one-horse town on the other side of Ireland. To make it on time for her magical date with her boyfriend, she asks the handsome but harsh pub owner Nicole for help, and for the first time in her life she will be overrun by unsuspected events and emotions.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just lack creativity but I really want to write a little so I thought I'd take a love movie, swap the characters and vary the original story here and there.  
> I chose the movie "Leap Year" because I just love it. Amy Adams and Matthew Goode are such good actors, but sorry, Waverly and Nicole are coming for you now ;)
> 
> Again, the story was not my idea. The original script was written by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont.
> 
> Have fun!

It was a sunny, crisp winter day in this upscale Boston neighborhood.

Waverly was currently busy pursuing her job, turning one rundown house after another into a stylish home. With skill and creativity, she let removalists put all the furniture where it just stood perfectly. She took over the finishing touches herself and put small decorations where they apparently simply seemed to belong.

She sighed in satisfaction and the realtor came up to her with an impressed look.

"Thanks! You know I sold that Back Bay two-bedroom on the first day? To the first couple who walked in! Boy, I got lucky on that one."

"Luck didn’t sell that place, a new sofa and a vase of dahlias did. I don’t believe in luck. You make your own luck" Waverly replied, convinced.

"All I know is you’re worth every penny."

Waverlys phone buzzed, message from her boyfriend Champ: **Co-op boards - 3 PM.**

"Oh! I have to get over to The Waterford!"

"You’re staging an apartment at The Waterford??"  


"No. I may be buying one."

The realtor looked very impressed.

***

Waverly parked in front of a beautiful apartment building.

She already saw Champ waiting for her outside and she immediately approached him. They kissed for greeting.

As they broke apart Waverly straightened his tie.

"You didn’t wear your lab coat? Co-op boards love a doctor."

"This is The Waterford, they think doctors are blue collar" he laughed and took out his phone.

"Wait. I want a picture of you under the awning."

"Champ, I don’t want to be late..." Waverly said.

"Say 'three bedroom overlooking the common!'"

She smiled and he snapped the photo. He looked at it.

"How do I look? Chic yet respectable?"

"Beautiful! Look at this image quality! I just downloaded the new HD Camera app, you’re even more adorable in high def! Who wouldn’t want this woman living in their building?!"

She couldn't help but be charmed by his enthusiasm. They strided to the entrance where a uniformed doorman was holding the door open. Champ held his hand out for her to enter first. A gentleman.

***

A beautifully-furnished apartment with sky-high ceilings and gleaming parquet floors. Waverly and Champ sat across from two older, well-groomed women and one silver-haired man in a bow tie. This is the co-op board. And they were finishing up.

"Well. Thank you both again for coming in. We have to review some things internally, of course..." the first woman said.

The man continued: "But that was an outstanding interview. You do seem like just the type of people who should be calling The Waterford home. And not just because half of us are old enough to need a good cardiologist in the building, Dr. Hardy."

They all laughed and Waverly looked at Champ, proud.

The second woman seemed less impressed as she looked through her notes though.

"Hmm. I don’t believe there’s anything we’ve missed, unless there’s something you’d like to add?"

Waverly and Champ exchanged a look. Then Waverly leaned forward, very direct.

"All right, look. There’s really no other way to say this other than being completely blunt. We don’t settle. Champ and I, we just aren’t those types of people. And what we want you to know is, if you do choose to let us move in here, we will continue not to settle. We will be the best tenants, the most devoted to the building, more than anyone else. Because we don’t know any other way to be."

Champ nodded in agreement.

Waverly continued: "As you know I’ve staged apartments all over this area for sellers, even a few next door at The Wesley."

You could tell by the look on the board members’ faces that they felt less than enthusiastic about The Wesley. And Waverly was expecting that reaction.

"I’ve seen everything, and if I may state the obvious, there is no building in Boston finer than The Waterford. So how could we possibly settle anyplace else?"

The man and the first woman seemed to agree. Waverly looked at the second woman, who seemed to be the least swayed by this speech.

"I just love your vitrine. Beidermeier. Louis... XIV?" Waverly asked.

"Fifteenth."

"Of course! I should know that. Well it’s exquisite."

"..thank you."

She finally smiled, pleased to have her 'exquisite' taste recognized.

***

Waverly and Champ celebrated out on the sidewalk.

Champ spoke: "Well that couldn’t have gone any better! And you! You were amazing! That thing with the cabinet?"

"I knew it was Louis XV, but I sensed she was one of those 'smartest person in the room'-types" Waverly answered.

Champ smiled and gave her a big kiss.

"We might live at The Waterford!" he cheered.

"I know... it’d be a good present, wouldn’t it? For maybe the fourth anniversary of our first date? Our... date-a-versary?"

He tickled her.

"You are the worst hint-dropper ever! Do you really think I’d forget? Four years is big."

She giggled in his arms.

"I made a reservation at L’Espalier. And I may have even gotten you a special present..."

Waverly made big eyes: "Really?? What is it? Tell me!"

"No no no, you know I like surprises. You have to wait. Tonight, eight o’clock."

"Eight o’clock!"

She suddenly shuddered, chilling in the February air.

"Always freezing, what is it with you? Here, take my sweatshirt."

He wraped it around her, gave her a kiss.

"What would I do without you?"

"Buy more layers. See you at eight. Gotta go now."

"I’ll be there!"

Waverly wraped the sweatshirt around her. She couldn't stop smiling as Champ drove off down the street.

***

After spending their anniversary at the restaurant Waverly and Champ entered their apartment.

He took off his coat. She was right behind him.

Waverly looked at the brand new bracelet on her wrist. And then at the bracelet sized jewelery box from Beacon Hill Estate Jewelery.

"What time is it, 10:30? Ugh, I gotta be at the airport at seven. I have to call and confirm my car, finish some charts, pack, get the Slingbox set up.. I gotta say I love the fact that I’ll be all the way in Ireland and I won’t miss a single Celtics game. That was the best present ever, sweetie..." Champ said as he went into the bedroom.

Waverly stood there looking at the bracelet and the box. She thumbed her head against the wall. _How could I be so stupid?!_

Champ was busy packing some suits into a garment bag.

"Make sure to tell your dad happy birthday from me tomorrow" he zipped up the bag, "this conference should be interesting. The Swiss are unveiling this new MRI. Who knows, maybe we can convince the hospital to buy one..."

Waverly was in the hallway, not really listening. She was looking at framed photos on the wall: Waverly and Champ enjoying ski trips, birthday dinners, a Paris vacation, Valentine’s day... four years of her life. She looked down at the bracelet again, depressed.

"You can always come with me, you know..." Champ passed by, disappearing into the guest room to grab something else, "who doesn’t want to visit Ireland in the dead of winter?"

He laughed as he crossed back to the bedroom. He stopped, coming back out to look at Waverly.

"Waverly? You okay? You look upset."

Waverly turned to him. She didn't know what to say.

"You’re nervous about the co-op aren’t you?"

Waverly nodded, covering. Champ walked over to her, wraped his arms around her.

"I know. I hate to be going away when all this is going down but there’s really not much to do after the interview. I’m sure they’ll let us know by the weekend."

Waverly nodded.

"Come on. We’re gonna get it. When do I not get you what you want?"

He gave her a little squeeze and headed back into the bedroom. Waverly glanced down at the bracelet again...

***

A classic Boston watering hole. The perfect spot for a liquid lunch.

Waverly sat with sister Wynonna in one of the old school booths, where names have been carved into the wood over the past decades. Across from them was their father Wyatt. A waitress picked up his empty drink and replaced it with a refill.

"Thank you, m’lady!"

"Do you want to open your present?" Waverly asked happily.

"Absolutely!"

The girls pushed a wrapped box across the table. He unwraped it, revealing a brand new phone.

"Well look at that! It’s a... phone."

"No no, it’s a BlackBerry. You can put all your appointments and contacts in there, you can even send email!"

He looked at it. Already knowing he’s never going to use it. Wynonna knew this was a bad idea.

"Or you can just use the phone part." Wynonna said.

"No. Use the whole thing! It’s perfect! You know how you’re always writing stuff down on scraps of paper or matchbooks and then they’re all stuffed in your pockets or worse you just lose them... now you can just type everything in there!" Waverly said enthusiastically.

"Well that’s great, girls. As soon as I get a spare moment I’ll crack open the instructions and figure out what all these buttons do!"

No he won’t. He put the box down and quickly changed the subject.

"So how’s that Champ? How are things going in the medical trade?"

She gritted her teeth and reached for her water. Wyatt noticed her sparkly new bracelet.

"Whoa, what are you trying to do, blind me?! Lemme put my sunglasses on! Where’d that come from?"

"Champ got it for me for our anniversary."

"What, still no ring? What’s with that guy?"

Waverly looked angry. He noticed and tried to be useful.

"Champ’s already in Ireland, right? Half the battle’s over."

The women looked confused.

"What's in Ireland?" Wynonna asked.

"In Leap Year there the women can propose to the men! On the 29th of February, it's a tradition!"

He chuckled and swallowed his drink.

"What do you say? Should we send you to Ireland to get down on one knee?"

"I- no!" Waverly hissed.

"I can pay for your ticket. Some of your ticket. Actually if you wanna do it right now, you should probably pay for it and I’ll pay you back."

"That’s okay."

"I’m serious. I’ve got something coming down the pike in a couple of months that’s really going to set me up nicely. I can’t say much about it right now, but let’s just say it’s 99 percent a done deal already. It might involve vacation homes, not time shares, per se, but a very lucrative opportunity. You know what, I’ve said too much already. But I’ve got a good feeling about this."

Waverly and Wynonna have heard this before.

"Dad. I’m not going to Ireland. I appreciate the advice but I don’t think that’s for me."

Wynonna tried to diffuse the building tension: "We should order some lunch!"

"Good idea. Order me a sandwich Wyn, will you? Gotta use the bathroom."

He got up and left for the men’s room. Waverly looked at her sister.

"I know. I’m sorry. I still think Champ is an ass but it's a gorgeous bracelet. Don’t be mad."

"He seriously thinks I should go to Ireland and propose to my boyfriend. He lives on a different planet!"

Wynonna held out a comforting hand to Waverly. Waverly took it, groaned, then slumped her head onto the table, spent.

"And this table is sticky."

***

Waverly, in that same position, head on her pillow. She had a hard time falling asleep. There was a photo of her and Champ smiling happily, just staring at her from her bedside table. She rolled over, shutting it out... And her eyes landed on her wrist - the bracelet. A symbol of her disappointment. Exasperated, she flipped onto her back, put the pillow over her head. Then after a beat, she finally threw the blankets aside and got out of bed.

She went into the living room and opened her laptop. She googled and quickly found a bunch of articles on leap year proposals in Ireland. She read, looked at photos of women proposing on one knee in Dublin.

Even though she found that whole thing absolutely absurd she kept on watching pictures and clips of Irish women kissing their happy crying men - showing off their rings.

She got a little emotional, too.

"Awww..."

But again, she thought better of it and snapped the laptop shut. She got up.

But quickly, she sat back down and opened the laptop again. This time she went right to an airline site. She clicked on 'Search for flights'.


	2. Chapter 2

Wynonna was dropping Waverly off at the International Terminal. 

Waverly took her designer luggage out of the trunk.

"Okay. Tickets, passport, *scrolls down her phone* Hotel address.. Is this crazy? Tell me this is a terrible idea and I won’t go."

"I thought you already left Champ a message to tell him you’re coming" Wynonna said.

Waverly already moved on talking: "It’s just last night I just couldn’t think of another way to make this happen. I mean if he didn’t propose on our anniversary, then when? Christmas? That’s the next major holiday. Which is a year from now."

"Well if anyone can make this happen it’s you as he clearly is too dumb, lol... It’s what you do, you stage things. And you’re gonna have a great story"

Wynonna tried to stand behind her sister even though she didn't like Champ. Waverly knew it wasn't easy for her to accept the whole thing, thus she really appreciated the support she finally received after quite some time.

"And Champ loves surprises"

"Trust me, you are coming back engaged."

Waverly went to pick up her bags. She looked at Wynonna.

"Can’t leave this things to chance, right?"

"You’re not. You’re getting engaged."

Waverly nodded. They smiled. A sisterly bond.

"Now go do it!"

She headed inside, determined.

***

Waverly was on her phone as she took her seat. She called Champ.

"Hey! I finally got you! I’m getting on the plane right now!"

While some of the world’s top cardiologists watched a presentation of medical slides and technical data, Champ ducked out to the back of the room.

"Wow it sounds so clear! What phone are you on, is that your cell?"

"How about, 'hey, I can’t believe you’re coming to Ireland'!”

"Well that goes without saying. What changed your mind?"

"I don’t know, I finished that condo I was staging and I saw this long weekend ahead of me and who am I to turn down a free trip to Dublin?"

"Well it’s a nice surprise."

Waverly smiled to herself, pleased. This was a good sign.

"Oh, they’re telling me I have to turn off my phone now. I love you, I’ll see you tomorrow!"

She hung up and fastened her seat belt. Neck pillow and headphones were ready. She closed her eyes and smiled. The roar of the jet engines could be heard.

***

Waverly was awakened by turbulence. **WHUMP.** She turned, still groggy. Her headphones slid awkwardly over one eye.

"What’s going on?"

The passenger next to her pointed out his window. Waverly looked out to see the thick cloud layer, flashing with lightening.  


**WHUMP!** A few passengers gasped.

Suddenly the pilot spoke over the intercom: _"Dear passengers, as you can tell we’ve encountered some bumps due to thunderstorms over the Dublin area. Unfortunately, due to the unexpected severity of the weather, the Dublin airport has been shut down until further notice. We will be diverting to Cardiff in Wales, where our representatives will do our best to get you to your final destinations as soon as possible."_

As the passengers all groaned, the plane banked and turned. Waverly still looked disoriented.

"Wales? Is that far? That’s next to England, right?"

The passenger next to her just nodded: "Yup."

***

Cardiff - International Airport.

The place was a zoo: full of tired and angry passengers, all trying to get to their actual destinations.

Waverly was rushing to the airlines desk, pushed other impatient travellers behind her.

"There are NO flights until tomorrow?!"

The airline rep answered with a tired, Welsh accent: "Until we are given any information on when the Dublin airport will re-open, the earliest flight I can put you on is standby for the two o’clock tomorrow."

Waverly was outraged: "Two?! That’s not going to work. What about the morning?" 

"The morning flights are already sold out. The two o’clock connects through Glasgow where there’s a three hour layover but you’ll get to Dublin by tomorrow night..."

"No, no no. Look. I have appointments set. Everything’s arranged already. I’m proposing to my boyfriend on the 29th. Leap Day? It’s an old Irish tradition? So I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation. I have a window here, and I’m not gonna let some stupid storm at some rinky-dink airport close that window!"

Airline rep glanced at her screen: "...annnd it looks like the two o’clock is now full. The next available flight is at six."

"So there’s no other way to get to Dublin before tomorrow night, is that what you’re telling me??"

"There’s a ferry out of Swansea to Cork-"

Waverly ran off.

***

A miserable looking Waverly rode through Wales on a bus. She rode though Wales on a train. She got off that train and barely made it to a different train. It was still raining on and off. And all the while she was trying to unsuccessfully to get reception on her phone. And it was getting dark by the time she made it to the Swansea ferry station.

She was tired and dragged her bags up to the lone agent at the ticket counter.

"Is this the ferry to Cork? And is that where I catch the train to Dublin?"

"Yes it is, Ma’am. But perhaps you’ll want to wait until the mornin’. Looks like it might start blowin’ pretty hard out there..."

She leaned over the counter, almost threatening: "No, thank you!"

He nodded: "Of course."

***

On board.

The storm was raging again. The boat was being tossed around in huge swells. Seawater crashed over the sides. Waverly was hanging on to a rail for dear life. Tried to stay dry and not lose her lunch. This was miserable.

***

The storm has let up slightly as the ferry finally chugged into port.

Waverly, looking much the worse for wear, dragged her bags up to the exit platform. The Captain, looking a little pale himself, helped her off.

"Cork train station?"

"Cork? You’re not in Cork, luv."

"What? Why not?!"

"Did you not see that storm? We had to divert! You’re lucky to be alive!"

Waverly couldn't believe this.

"Then.. where the hell am I??"

"Dingle."

"Dingle?! Well how do I get to Dublin from here?"

He shrugged and looked up. It has started to snow.

"How about that? I don’t think it’s snowed here in thirty years. I’m gonna need you to get off the boat now."

He escorted her off the walkway on to the dock. The snow started to fall a little heavier. The Captain pulled the walkway back to the boat. Waverly looked around and saw a small cluster of lights in the distance. A town.

Snow continued to fall on the lone muddy road that made up the main street of this tiny village town. Waverly dragged her bags behind her. They were now covered in mud. She didn't look very good herself.

All the shop fronts looked dark, except for one little tavern with the light on.

The sign above the door was broken. It looked like it read HAUGHT’S. The windows were filthy. But she didn't really have much choice.

Waverly entered. It would've been kind to call the place dingy. It was empty except for two ancient Irishmen at the bar, mid argument. It looked like they never left their bar stools.

"You’re a fluthered arse is what you are!" bawled the first man.

"And you’re an idiot!" said the second.

They drank.

"Keats isn’t even Irish!"

"We’re not talking about 'greatest Irish poet'! You said 'greatest love poet'! And I say Keats is better than Yeats!"

"Aaargh!"

"Uhm... excuse me? But, does anyone know how I can get to Dublin from here?" Waverly carefully interrupted them.

They glanced at her. And then looked back at their drinks.

"Hmph. Someone got lost on her way to the Blarney Stone."

"Or the Guinness factory!"

They cackled and laughed. Waverly stood there, desperate.

"Is there a train, maybe? To Dublin?"

The one man said to the other: "Why would a young American woman come all the way out here on her own?"

"She sounds Australian to me. The way she said train. Tray-een".

"She’s not Australian..."

"Hello? I’m right here. Yes. My name’s Waverly, and I am from America. Boston, actually. And I’m trying to-"

" _Wine comes in at the mouth And love comes in at the eye; I lift the glass to my mouth, I look at you, and I sigh._ Yeats! Bloody brilliant!" bawled the one man, not paying attention to what Waverly said.

"That’s not about love, it’s about drinkin’, ya scuttered plonker! _Pillow’s upon my fair love’s ripening breast, To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake for ever in a sweet unrest_... That’s a real love poem! By a real poet!"

"Ah, you just like it cause he’s talkin’ about breasts!"

"Damn right! Just ‘cause the last pair of tits you saw was your mother’s..."

"The last pair of tits I saw was your mother’s!"

They exchanged “Arrrghs” and drank. Still no answer for Waverly.

"Uh, I see you’re having an important discussion, but I really do need to find a way to get to-"

"-Dublin. We heard you the first time."

Waverly turned around, startled at the feminine, rough voice. Emerging from the shadows at the end of the back came the barmaid. A woman with fiery red hair who wore anything but fine clothes appeared. She gave Waverly a grim look as she wiped out a dirty pint glass.


	3. Chapter 3

"Let me tell you something, Waverly from Boston. I’ve been to Dublin. And it’s a city for blaggards and cheats and backstabbing snakes. It’s where the worst kind of slime and sewage and shite runs off of this great country and collects in pools and they needed to give it a name so they called it Dublin" the woman said in a more than pessimistic way.

Waverly looked somehow shocked at the gruffness.

"O...kay. Is there anyplace else open around here tonight?"

"The bus. I’d take the bus" said one of the men.

Waverly was relieved: "There’s a bus!"

"The bus to Kilarney. Then the train to Cork..."

"Cork! Right, I know I can get there from Cork-"

"Cork? Why would you send her to Cork? She should take the train to Limerick and then the bus to Kildare!" said the other man.

"Kildare? Then she won’t even see the Ring of Kerry!"

"She didn’t ask to see the Ring of Kerry, you gobshite!"

Waverly just wanted an answer.

"Is there any way just to drive? Like hire a taxi or a car right now and just go? Look, I changed my money at the airport *digs through her purse* and I’ve got five hundred Euro to whoever can drive me straight to Dublin tonight."

She held up the wad of cash. The old men stared at it. This must've been a lot of money to them. It even grabbed the womans attention.

"I’m thinkin’ you might find somebody for five hundred Euro" said the one man.

"No argument from me" agreed the other.

Waverly smiled. Now she was getting somewhere.

The two men were jabbering again.

"Excepting you can’t leave. It’s Friday. It’s bad luck to start a journey on a Friday."

"Or start a new business. You don’t want to start a business either on a Friday..."

"Does she look like she’s startin’ a business?!"

"You also shouldn’t move into a house on a Friday. Or cut a new dress for that matter..."

"You can’t cut a dress on a Tuesday, you idiot!"

"Five hundred Euro to anyone with a car!!" Waverly said loudly to deflect.

"Nobody’s taking you anywhere right now" said the woman.

Waverly turned back to her. She was putting an end to this.

"It’s the middle of the night. No one’s crawling out of their beds just ‘cause you decided you need to get to Dublin. You’re just gonna have to wait till morning to throw your money at someone."

Waverly looked at the old men, but they didn't disagree.

"Well.. what am I supposed to do until then?"

"I don't know" she answered as if she didn't care.

"She can stay here!" said the one man.

"Not sure if I have room" said the woman.

"Nicole Haught, you got a floor full of vacant rooms up there and you wanna throw this lass out into the street?"

"I’m fine, I’ll find a hotel..." Waverly answered disappointed.

"That’s not Las Vegas out there darlin’, this is the hotel" said the other man.

"Alright, fine. You can stay here" the woman named Nicole finally agreed.

Waverly sighed with relief: "Oh, awesome. Thank you."

She picked up her bags.

"She looks hungry. Maybe she’d like a little something to eat."

"Crispy duck!"

The men looked quite excited by this. Waverly looked interested at the thought of food. Nicole glared at them.

"The kitchen’s closed actually."

Waverly had that sad look on her face again and she decided to give in.

"Alright. Gonna bring you something later. Let me show you the room."

Waverly smiled.

Nicole grabbed a room key off a hook and headed upstairs. Waverly followed.

She threw open the door. The room looked like it hasn’t been slept in a while. The frilly Irish lace bedspread looked ancient. There were some cobwebs in the corners. Waverly looked less than thrilled.

"The loo is down the hall" Nicole said dryly.

"Are there towels in-"

"-gonna prepare your food now" and with that Nicole closed the door and disappeared.

Great. Waverly looked around the poorly lit room. Tried to keep it together. Exhausted, she sat down on the bed kicking up a tiny dust cloud from the sheets. Wonderful.

Her suitcase was open on the bed. She opened the closet to try and hang up a few items. Only, she couldn't open the closet because it opened right into the bed. 

She attempted to squeeze a dress into the little space but she couldn't even do that. Then she saw another closet door on the other side of the bed.

Arms full of clothes, she shimmied her way along the narrow space to get to the other side. But the second closet was packed with hotel supplies, a few brooms tipped out and hit her on the arm as two large boxes of chocolate mints crashed to the floor along with a photo. Waverly picked it up to look at it.

This Nicole with her arm around a pretty dark haired woman. Waverly glanced at it for a moment.

Suddenly her phone chirped. She picked it up. There was a signal! Finally some good news! But the battery was blinking low. Waverly quickly digged through her bag and pulled out a European adapter and her power cord. She looked around for a power point and finally found one behind a tiny table.

After a hurried struggle and maneuvering and moving of the table, she was able to plug in the adapter and at last, her phone and... **PZZZZT!** The adapter sparked and her phone fried in front of her eyes. Waverly gasped like she’s been stabbed in the heart.

One floor lower they could hear Waverly’s bloodcurling scream. Nicole and the two men looked up at the ceiling, perplexed. None of them moved to get up.

"Why don’t you just take her to Dublin? You rather give Peter Begley that five hundred?"

"Yeah, ‘cause he’s a taxi service and I aren’t" Nicole answered.

"He’s a bastard is what he is!"

"How many past due notices are you expectin’ to get from the bank? It was a loan, not a bloody gift."

They heard a clanging of pipes as Waverly turned on the shower.

"Maybe if you two piss artists would pay for your own drinks once in a while" Nicole replied to the accusation, annoyed.

"Oh I see. So we’re the problem. It’s got nothing to do with you gambling the money away in card games-"

"-or dog racing"

"Or which leaf’s gonna fall off the Hawthorne tree..." said the two men, unamused.

"I had a good tip on that Hawthorne leaf" she said unimpressed.

"I’m serious, Haught. It’s been a year, you may wanna take your head out your ass and run a business again. You never cook nothin’-"

"-we’re your only customers most nights!"

"This place is fine! Why don’t you mind your own business, then? I’m grand!" she hissed.

"If bullshit was music she’d be a bleedin’ brass band" the one man said to the other, then turned to Nicole, "you’re not grand, you’re shite! And this place is shite! Moping around here all day and night..."

"The bank’s gonna take this place at the end of the month and you don’t seem to care! Your Dad built this place from nothing and you’re about to piss it all away!"

"Or go ahead and live on the street. Don’t matter to me, I can drink anywhere."

They confronted Nicole.

***

Waverly had finally removed her wet clothes and was about to grab something out of her suitcase to put on, when: **BANG!** The door opened.

Nicole stormed in: "All right, I’ll drive you!"

Waverly shrieked and dropped down between the bed and the wall.

"Do you not knock?!" she asked in disbelieve.

"Why do I gotta knock, it’s my house."

"Because I’m a guest and I’m not even dressed!"

She was right. She was not dressed. Nicole unintentionally scanned Waverlys body till she saw the boxes of chocolate mints and the photo on the floor.

"What’re you doing with those?"

"They fell on me."

"Why were you looking in there anyway?" she quickly grabbed the stuff off the floor, shoved the photo in her pocket and the mints back in the closet.

"Could you please turn around??!" Waverly snapped.

Already annoyed, Nicole made a big show of turning around to give her some privacy.

"There. Better?"

"Not really, no."

"We’re leaving first thing. Seven a.m."

Waverly managed to slip into a large t-shirt from her bag.

"The sooner the better."

"And I want all five hundred Euro. In advance."

"No way. You get it when we get there. How do I know you’re not gonna rip me off?"

"C'mon, if I want your money I’ll sneak in here while you’re sleeping and take it."

"Thank you, I’ll sleep so much better knowing that. You will get it when we get there."

"Fine. Deal."

"And I need to use your phone. Your outlet destroyed mine." she held up her dead phone.

"You got a phone card?"

"No."

"Phone’s five a minute."

Waverly shook her head as she pulled on her jeans.

Nicole gave her the phone and Waverly tried to call Champ. She reached him and told him everything that happened to her.

"Oh my god, Champ, it was a nightmare!"

Champ was in bed. A large, luxurious bed with expensive linens. He was playing with his iphone.

"I can’t believe it, that’s an outrage. I’ll have my office call the airline and get you comped for the ticket. Save all your receipts."

"They already offered me a free ticket. Like I’m ever coming to Ireland again. And I ruined my suede bag. Destroyed."

"Oh, honey." 

"I know."

She was pouty. Nicole made a face, clearly disgusted.

"It’s probably too late now to get a car... okay, I’m going to skip my morning seminar and come out there and get you."

"No, honey, don’t do that. I’d feel guilty if you missed anything important. I got this-"

She looked at Nicole, who was poking around in her mouth to find leftovers in there.

"-person here to take me... we’re leaving first thing in the morning." she said, sightly disgusted.

"Okay baby. I love you."

"I love you too."

Nicole finally found some food between her teeth.

"Gotta tell ya, I’m seriously disappointed with Dublin. Two whole days and I haven’t seen a single leprechaun." Champ chuckled.

Waverly tried to laugh but she was yawning.

"Listen to you, get some sleep, you must be exhausted."

"I am."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Nicole was busy chewing on the food she found, Waverly stared at her.

With a shudder, she approached Nicole and shoved her out of the room. Nicole called after her.

"That’s twenty Euro!"

"Put it on my bill!" Waverly shouted.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was coming up over the town.

Waverly came through the bar with her suitcase. She was ready to go. She stopped and looked around for a minute. The morning light was coming through the dusty windows and one could see that this place had remnants of charm, they’ve been sorely neglected, but they were there.

She stopped in front of an old framed photograph of a beautiful young woman standing in front of HAUGHT'S. She was lovely.

Waverly stepped out into the sun. Now that she could see the streets, the homes, Dingle actually looked picturesque. 

The snow was mostly melted. The homes were painted in bright, cheery colors, with window boxes full of flowers. A group of children came running down the street, laughing. A man rolled by on a bicycle, rang his little bell and nodded in Waverly’s direction. A woman passed by as well, smiled at her.

"Good morning" said the woman.

"Good morning!" Waverly was stunned by the gregariousness.

The woman turned and smiled. Gave Waverly a little wave. 

Waverly noticed a tiny antique shop across the street. She crossed to look in the window. 

She pressed her nose up to it. Tea sets, silver service, porcelain figures. In a tiny jewel box, a Claddagh ring.

Waverly smiled, she found this sweet, perhaps charming... **BANG!**

A car backfired behind her and she jumped. She turned around.

Nicole rolled up to the front of HAUGHT'S in a car that looked about fifty years old. Because it was. A rusty, sputtering, Wolseley Hornet.

Nicole honked the horn. Waverly looked at the car, horrified.

Nicole looked back at her and honked again, clearly annoyed. Waverly crossed over to the car.

"I’m hoping that’s the car that’s gonna take us around the corner to the car we’re actually driving in."

Nicole got out of the car and slammed the door. She picked up Waverly’s bags and brutally tossed them in the back. She cringed.

"Seriously, there’s no way this heap is gonna make it to Dublin."

"That’s a Wolseley Hornet. She’s a workhorse!"

Waverly turned, the two men from last night were heading up to HAUGHT'S.

"Car’s been alive longer than you, Miss."

"That’s what concerns me" Waverly said worried.

"You goin’ through Limerick, Nicole?" asked the one man.

"I told you, she don’t want to miss the Ring Of Kerry!" said the other.

"What, do you work for the visitor’s board? What’s so great about the damn Ring Of Kerry?!"

"It’s beautiful! Was good enough for Charlie Chaplin-"

"Look at her! She don’t even know who Charlie Chaplin is!"

"Argh!"

"Arrghh!!"

They were done with each other. 

"While I actually do know who Charlie Chaplin is, I’d just like to go whichever way’s the fastest. Preferably in a nice, safe vehicle?" Waverly asked.

"She’s plenty safe, look at that!"

One of the men slammed his hand on the all metal dashboard.

"That’s all steel right there."

Waverly grimaced: "Yeah, none of those fancy airbags to get in your way..."

Nicole barked: "Would you get in already? Thought you were in some big hurry."

"I am."

Nicole got back in the car. Waverly shored up her courage and headed for the passenger side.

"Well. Nice meeting you-" she wanted to say her goodbyes to the men.

"HOLD IT!"

Waverly turned, startled. One man pointed at a stray cat that was wandering up to the car.

"You can’t go now. Cat. S’bad luck."

"I’m sorry?"

He was very serious about this.

"It’s bad luck to start a journey if you see a cat."

"I think it’s a magpie" said the other man.

"It’s a bleedin’ cat, you dim bastard!"

Waverly had enough.

"You know what, I’ll be just fine. To be honest I don’t even believe in luck. I think you make your own-"

"You don’t believe in luck?!"

"That’s daft! What else don’t you believe in? Gravity?"

"The moon?" they asked alternately.

Waverly was not about to get into it with these guys.

"Well, as I said, nice meeting you."

She got into the car. The two men were coming up with more absurd examples. Nicole turned the engine over. The car rumbled and rattled. Waverly definitely looked uneasy. She reached for her seatbelt, held up only a lap belt.

"There’s no shoulder part."

Nicole reached over, grabbed it and roughly buckled her in. Yanked it tight. Waverly was too shocked to say anything. One of the men leaned over for a final goodbye.

"Safe travels, lass. Go n-éiri an bothar leat. May the road rise up to meet you."

That was sweet. Waverly smiled.

***

The bumpiest road in Ireland. Maybe in the world.

Waverly was being jostled around in the Hornet like she was on a horseback. She looked a little green. Looked over at Nicole, who didn't seem to mind this at all.

She was listening to some loud local punk band on the radio and was eating. Some extremely messy sandwhich. Eggs were involved. And some kind of meat. A particularly sloppy bite spilled onto her shirt. She scooped it up with her free hand and slurped it into her mouth.

Waverly exhaled, disgusted. She wanted to open her window but it wouldn't roll down. The handle turned and turned but nothing happened.

"My window doesn’t work."

No response. Waverly tried to remain cheery.

"Well, this is fine. It’s only a few hours, right? Maybe I can get some Dublin shopping in before the stores close."

"That’s why you’re going to Dublin? To shop?" Nicole huffed.

"No, I’m going there to... can you turn the radio down please? It’s really loud."

Nicole rolled her eyes, reached over and turned it off.

"Thank you. I’m going there to propose to my boyfriend. On the 29th. You know, for Leap Year?"

She started to get excited.

"We just had our four year anniversary and he’s there on business. He’s a cardiologist. There’s a big international medical conference in Dublin?"

Nicole didn't seem to care. Waverly continued.

"I actually thought he was going to propose a few days ago but he didn’t and well, we’re about to buy this co-op together so, surprise! He has no idea that’s why I’m coming, but I am. I’m doin’ it... whoo!"

She giggled, giddily.

There was a beat of silence. Then-

"That’s the fucking stupidest thing I’ve ever heard."

Waverly looked shocked.

"I- no it isn’t!"

"Yeah, it is" Nicole said with a dull voice.

"No, it’s romantic! It’s a tradition! An extremely romantic tradition!"

"An extremely stupid tradition."

"Stop saying that!"

"It’s just a fact. It’s a day for sad, desperate women to trap themselves a man who clearly doesn’t want to get married."

Waverly gasped, deeply offended. Nicole continued.

"You’ve gotta know if your man wanted to propose to you he’d have done it already."

"You know nothing about me or, my 'man'!"

"No? Well here’s what I do know: It’s all as useless as tits on a bull. You can be engaged or married or just having a shag but in the end you’ll always end up alone. Somebody’s gonna get left. That’s the cold, hard truth. You’re born alone and you die alone and that’s the way life goes. End of story."

Waverly was fuming.

"End of YOUR story. You know who winds up alone? Rude people like you who could never even attract a man!"

Nicole laughed at that.

"Look at me, look at you. You're spoiled, whiny *imitates Waverly*, babbling around your money and your ‘very expensive’ luggage! So American..."

"Oh, so you hate Americans!"

"Everyone hates Americans. The Americans just aren’t paying attention."

"You know what? It’s bad enough that you... no! No. Forget it. I will not stoop to your level. We’re done. We’re done talking. I’m not paying you to talk, I’m paying you to drive. So just drive!"

"You got it."

Nicole zipped her lip. No talking. Waverly was about to respond but she stopped herself. Just glared at her, then turned and looked out the window.

***

A bleating sheep stood in the middle of the road. Wider to reveal more sheep, at least thirty, milling around the center of the road. The Hornet rolled to a stop.

"Whose sheep are those?" Waverly asked.

Nicole didn't answer.

"Whose sheep are those? Why aren’t they... You can talk now y'know! Whose sheep are those? Shouldn’t there be someone with them? Like a dog? Or a farmer?"

Nicole shrugged.

"Well, are they going to move?"

Nicole shrugged again. 

"Seriously?"

She said nothing. Frustrated, Waverly leaned over and honked the horn. Nicole swatted her hand away.

"Get off my horn!"

"Well it’s not like you’re doing anything!"

"I am doing something. I’m waiting for the sheep to move."

"But they’re not moving! We don’t even know how long they’ve been there!"

"They’re sheep, not tombstones. They won’t grow moss. You got two days before your big proposal, I’m sure they’ll move before then."

She looked back at the sheep, impatient.

"So you’re not going to do anything" Waverly asked again.

"What is it you’d like me to do?"

"I don’t know, move them?!"

"Move ‘em yourself."

Waverly boiled. Unbelievable. 

"All right. Fine!"

She got out of the car and slammed the door. 

She stood by the sheep, not wanting to get too close. They were bigger than one would think, and they looked kind of grimy.

"Okay, out of the road!" she clapped her hands together, "move along now, go on! HA! HA!"

Nicole watched from inside the Hornet, amused. 

Outside, Waverly was getting impatient.

"Move! I said, MOVE!"

A few sheep turned and headed back to her, she stumbled back.

"No, no! The other way! Get away!!"

She whimpered. Tried to retreat, but was now mid-flock. She reached out, considered pushing one of them, but thought better of it. Instead, she lifted her foot and gave one of them a gentle shove with her shoe. 

"It works! It starts to move!" Waverly was pleased.

She went to repeat the motion but lost a shoe in the muck of the road.

"My shoe!"

She balanced on one foot, tried to look down for her shoe, but more sheep were wandering up and crowded the space around her legs.

Nicole watched her as she was balancing on one leg, panicking. She snorted. Until Waverly fell, out of her sight, lost amidst the sheep.

She quickly jumped out of the car, leaving the engine running.

Nicole ran into the road and was immediately commanding the sheep.

"HAH! HAH!"

She swatted a couple of them as they picked up her pace and ran off the road, down the embankment on the other side.

She turned back to see Waverly, scowling from the road as she wrestled her shoe out of the muck. She jogged up and offered her a hand. Waverly ignored it, struggling to her feet on her own.

"I wouldn’t be down there if you’d just helped me from the beginning on!!"

"You wouldn’t be down there if you’d just waited for the sheep to cross."

Waverly scooped a handful of mud out of her shoe.

"Well. These are ruined."

"Just wash ‘em out."

"They cost three hundred dollars. I can’t just wash them."

"Your shoes cost three hundred dollars?! *looks at her one good shoe* They look like my Gram’s house slippers."

"Well they’re not. They’re-"

Waverly suddenly heard something and turned around. She screamed. Nicole turned as well, eyes widening. The car was rolling backwards.

Nicole ran after the car.

"Get it!! Get it!!!" Waverly squealed.

She ran after Nicole on one shoe. Nicole reached for the hood of the car, couldn't catch it. 

"Oh my god, no, no, NO!!"

The car slid backward off the side of the road, down the embankment... and into a tree. **CRASH!** Waverly screamed again.

Nicole: "MY CAR!!!"


	5. Chapter 5

Waverly stood at the edge of the road, looking in both directions for someone, anyone, to come and pick her up. Behind her, Nicole was pushing the Hornet up over the edge of the hill. She finally got it back up on the road and stood there, panting.

Waverly said nothing. Just shook her head. Nicole catched her breath.

They were back in the car. 

"If I still had a phone we could call someone..." Waverly said.

Nicole waved her off, confident.

"Ah, you and your phone. Your phone didn’t lift this car outta the ditch. Your phone didn’t push it up the hill. And your phone won’t get it running again."

She nodded proudly. Waverly looked less than confident. But as she turned the key... the engine rattled to life.

Nicole looked nearly as surprised as Waverly. She smiled and shifted into gear.

And the car died. Just died.

Waverly got out of the car, furious. She slammed the door behind her and stormed around the little car to pull her luggage out of the trunk. Nicole got out of the car as well.

"I’m gonna have to charge you extra to get this towed. Plus repairs."

"Are you kidding? I’m not giving you another dime, you left the brake off!"

She digged into her bag and pulled out a few bills, shoved them at Nicole. 

"Here. Forty Euro. Thanks for taking me, what was it? Two miles? There you go."

She turned and started walking back up the road. 

"Where are you going?" Nicole asked.

"I’m gonna take my chances with the train to the bus to the friggin’ train!"

"I wouldn’t go walking around on your own. Never know who might be out here."

"I’ll be great as long as it’s not you!" she kept walking.

***

Waverly was dragging her luggage behind her as she kept walking. She already looked tired.

About twenty feet behind her was Nicole. She watched as her rolling bag got stuck in a little ditch and she struggled to pull it out. 

"That looks heavy."

Waverly turned around, glared. She kept walking. A few moments later, she heard Nicole talking.

"Hey, mate. Look I’m gonna be heading back earlier than I thought... Uh huh. Yeah-"

Waverly turned around again, surprised. Saw Nicole talking with her hand to her ear. She had a PHONE?!

But Nicole smiled and held her hand up. It was empty. She was just teasing. She laughed derisively.

Fuming, Waverly walked to the other side of the road.

After a while she stopped. There was a fork in the road. She was not sure which way to go. Nicole was still behind her, across the road.

"What you gonna do?" Nicole asked.

She didn't know. And that’s when she spotted an old farmer with a white beard, plowing a field just ahead, past the dead end. She waved and called out to him.

"Hey! Hello!"

He didn't turn, so she walked out into the field to get his attention.

"Excuse me? Hello?"

Nicole watched, curious.

Waverly ran through the field trying to wave down the farmer.

"Hello?!"

She ran right up to him, crossing right past his horse. He stopped the horse.

"Hi. I’m sorry to bother you but do you know how I can-"

And the old farmer just started yelling at her. In Gaelic.

Waverly looked startled. She had no idea what he was saying. But she apparently did something to really piss him off.

"Uh... I’m sorry. I- do you speak English?"

He was still yelling at her. Pointed to his horse and shook his fist at her.

"I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did wrong.."

"You crossed the path of his horse."

She turned to see Nicole walking up to her and the farmer.

"It’s bad luck to cross the path of a man’s plowhorse."

Waverly stared at her.

"You’re kidding, right?"

Nicole gestured to the furious farmer. She was not kidding. The farmer was still glaring at Waverly, grumbling under his breath.

"Of course. How could I have been so stupid?! I crossed in front of his horse! I’ve cursed his land for all eternity!!"

She tried to keep it together.

"Fine. You know what? Could you tell him I’m really, really sorry. And ask him if he has a phone I could use?"

Nicole spoke to the farmer in Gaelic. The farmer answered.

"He doesn’t have a phone. And he won’t accept your apology. He says you don’t seem sincere."

Waverly narrowed her eyes at Nicole. She shrugged.

"Could you assure him that I am... *pleading eyes at farmer* very sincere and then ask him if he knows how to get from here to Dublin."

How is that different from asking me?"

"Just ask him-"

The farmer perked up: "Dublin?"

They turned. He asked Nicole a question in Gaelic. Nicole turned back to Waverly.

"He wants to know why you want to go to Dublin."

Waverly looked at the farmer. Tried to muster a sweet smile.

"Go ahead. Tell him."

Nicole told the farmer. The farmer looked at Waverly. And bursted out laughing. Nicole laughed too. 

"Right. Thanks" Waverly said, very annoyed.

The farmer pointed at her and said something demeaning and laughed some more. Nicole was very happy to join right in.

Waverly sighed, fed up. Suddenly she saw a brown van approaching the fork in the road. She quickly waved at the van and ran back to the road.

"HEY! HEY!!!"

Waverly flagged down the van. It rolled to a stop, backed up a bit.

"Hey! Thank you! Thanks for stopping."

The driver of the van was a decent looking guy in his late twenties. He was wearing an Irish football jersey that reads: COBH RAMBLERS.

"I’m trying to get to Dublin-"

"Dublin? You’re a long way from Dublin, luv!"

"I know. Is there any chance you’re headed towards a train station or a bus station...?"

"Train station’s up ahead a few miles. Want me to drop you?"

"Really?? It’s not too much trouble?" Waverly asked gratefully.

"Of course not. What kind of person would I be if I couldn’t afford a stranger a little kindness?"

Waverly was very relieved. The driver helped her up.

"I wouldn’t get in that van if I were you" Nicole said in a serious tone.

Waverly looked at her.

"I’m not joking."

"Really? What’s the problem? Is it bad luck to get into a brown van on a Saturday?"

"No. That bloke’s a Ramblers fan. He can’t be trusted."

Nicole pointed to the driver’s jersey. Waverly rolled her eyes. She got in the van. The driver scoffed at Nicole.

"What are you, a Cork City fan? And here I thought that smell was comin’ from the horse!" he said.

Waverly slammed the door shut.

Nicole watched the van putter away. She stood there, now she was on her own. The farmer shook his head and patted his horse.

The driver chatted with Waverly as he drove. Very friendly. 

"Dublin, eh? It’s a beautiful city. Best restaurants in the country. And great nightlife too..."

"Yeah? Well that’s good to hear. I think I’ve been misinformed by someone not quite as sophisticated. Thanks again for taking me to the train."

The driver nodded. Waverly sat back in her seat, happy to be on her way. Suddenly the driver laughed.

"Last time I was in Dubin me and my mates got langered! I mean, positively mangled."

Waverly smiled and nodded. Okay.

"Remember that, boys? When we got so locked in Dublin we gawked all over the bloody street!"

He was looking in the rear view mirror. Waverly turned around, very surprised to find two large guys in the darkened, windowless back of the cargo van.

"Oh! I didn’t realize anyone was back there. Hi..."

The guys just stared at her. They didn't look nearly as nice as the driver. They also wore ramblers shirts, but one had his face painted and was missing a few teeth. The other had a shaved head and a nasty neck tattoo. They were real soccer hooligans, both drinking from whiskey bottles. (Wynonna vibes ;))

"These are my mates. Ned and Happy."

Waverly nodded. Managed a tight smile.

"We’re on our way to a match. Gettin’ millied up to kick some hoolie arse!"

They all let out a whoop of a battle cry. Then bursted into a rowdy menacing football chant.

"We hate Shamrock Rovers!!! We hate Dundalk too, THEY'RE SHITE!!! We hate Cork City but Ramblers we love you! Oi Oi Oi OI!!!"

It ended with a scary fascist salute. Waverly was getting a little freaked out.

"Are we, uh.. almost there?"

"Ah, what’s your hurry, lassie? Don’t be in such a rush. We’re in good time. We could have a nice little party, the four of us."

This was getting uncomfortable. The hooligans have inched closer to the front. They stared at Waverly. 

"Yeeeah. You know it’s such a nice day out. I think I might rather walk-"

"C’mon, lassie. We ain’t gonna bite. Especially not Ned, he ain’t got enough teeth!"

They laughed. This was getting ugly. The driver pulled the van off the main road. Slowed to a stop.

"I can get out here. That’s, that’s great..."

"Wait. Slow down. We can chill here for a few minutes. We’ll have a few laughs. Maybe a quick snog..."

"Okay! Great meeting you guys. I’m gonna get going now-"

Waverly scrambled to unlock the door and reached for the handle. But the driver stopped her, pulled her away from the door.

There was real fear in Waverly's eyes, but suddenly the driver got pulled out right out of his door. He was punched hard across the jaw... by Nicole!

Waverly was very relieved to see her. But before she could say anything, the hooligans came charging out of the van.

"OI!"

Ned and Happy tackled Nicole, pulled her off the driver. Then they started kicking her.

"You should mind your own business, dyke!!"

She gave them a sinister look while trying to get out of the attack.

The old farmer climbed out of his rusty little pickup and yelled at the Hooligans in Gaelic. Ned scoffed. 

"Aw, look! She brought Father Christmas with her!" yelled Ned.

Waverly was still in the van.

"He had a truck?!" she squealed.

Nicole twisted Ned's leg, causing him to drop in pain.

"Crawl back to your bog, you tosser!" she shouted.

As she hopped up Happy grabbed her and slammed her into the side of the van.

"Oof!" Waverly yelped. She scrambled out of the van.

The driver approached the old farmer.

"You a hardcase, whitey?"

The farmer pulled out a pitchfork, warned him to back off. The driver laughed. He quickly grabbed the pitchfork right out of his hand, broke the handle over his knee.

Meanwhile, Nicole spinned Happy around and punched him in the gut. She dropped him with an uppercut. She turned to see the driver about to swing at the old farmer.

But before she could get there, Waverly raced over and swung her suitcase at the driver’s head. She connected.

"AAARGH!" he screamed in pain.

He turned around to Waverly, really pissed.

"Oh, I wasn’t done with you!" he said to her.

He raised his hand to hit her and Waverly winced, but Nicole was already there. She whacked him in the back of the head with the broken pitchfork handle. The driver dropped.

Waverly looked at Nicole, incredibly grateful.

"Oh my god. Thank you so much! Both of you!" she said in a overwhelmed voice.

The farmer glared at Waverly. Yelled at her in Gaelic again. Waverly didn't know what she did wrong this time.

"He says you owe him a new pitchfork" Nicole told her.

***

The farmer’s rusty pickup started to drive, leaving the beaten hooligans in the dust. Nicole and Waverly sat on the front bench seat with the farmer. Nicole wiped some blood from her lip. Waverly was pale, still very much in shock.

"Oh my god, that was... Thank god you followed me."

Her eyes welled up and she quickly wiped a tear away. It was the first time she felt sympathy for Nicole, after all she came back for her.

Nicole couldn't help but notice. She looked uncomfortable.

"I didn’t show up for you. I just couldn’t pass up a chance to kick some Rambler arse..."

Of course that wasn't the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

The truck drove along the winding road past miles of lush, green, rolling hills.

After some while it stopped at a tiny railway station in the middle of the countryside. It was a simple rural station. Just a raised platform and shelter, not much else to see.

Inside, there was an old station master at the ticket booth. He looked like he could have worked here fifty years ago. And he probably did. There was a little sign on the window that read: Frank Reilly, Station Master.

"Hi, I’d like to get on the next train to Dublin?" Waverly asked.

Frank nodded: "Twenty-seven Euro."

She handed him the cash. Nicole watched Waverlys hands. They were trembling.

"The next train departs in two hours and forty three minutes" Frank said.

"Thank you."

She walked away and sat on a nearby bench. Nicole remained at the kiosk. Waverly wrapped her arms around herself, cold.

Nicole walked over to the bench, and after brief consideration, sat beside Waverly. Perhaps she would've liked to say something kind, something comforting, but what came out instead was:

"Ballycarbery."

"What?" Waverly looked at her.

"Ballycarbery Castle. Up there."

She pointed on a not-too-distant hillside, a castle. The only other building around for miles.

"Do you want to go see it?"

"Um, no thanks."

"You sure? It’s grand. And the view..." she said, raving. "It’s not like you’re ever gonna be out this way again. You should see a real Irish castle. I’ll take you up."

Waverly realized Nicole was finally trying to be nice for a change.

"I uh, I don’t want to miss my train."

"It’s a twenty minute walk, you’ve got near three hours."

Waverly looked at the castle, tried to resist.

"I don’t know... what about my bags?"

***

Frank was now standing by his office with Waverly’s bags. She still looked worried.

"You’re sure I won’t miss the train?"

"Ma’am, one of the privileges of being the station master is that no train leaves this station till I say so. Ballycarbery’s grand. You should see it."

"It is grand" Nicole repeated.

"Okay..."

She looked at her watch again, and then at Nicole. She finally gave in.

***

Together they hiked up the beautiful hillside. The sun was shining and the air was clear. Waverly took a deep breath.

"This is nice. Thank you" she said with a smile.

Nicole nodded.

"Sorry you won’t make it to Dublin before the shops close."

"I think you think I’m some kind of shopaholic. I have other interests you know. I do things, I have a job."

"Doing what?"

"I stage houses. Apartments actually. I stage apartments."

"Mmm" Nicole was thinking, "what is that, exactly?"

"Well, when somebody is trying to sell an apartment, they hire me to make it look as good as possible. I bring in new furniture, art, plants, everything. I completely 'stage' it so it looks perfect to a prospective buyer."

"Ah. Okay. And then if they buy it they get to keep all the stuff."

"Well, no. Actually, they just get the apartment..."

"The empty flat? I don’t get it."

"I’m showing them what it could look like."

"But... it won’t."

"But it could."

"Ohhh. So you dress up crap flats to fool people into buying ‘em."

"No, I’m not fooling! They’re very nice apartments!"

"So why do they need you?"

Waverly stopped. She got annoyed by Nicole yet again. She didn't understand why she always had to bother her like that.

"I’m presenting possibilities. The possibility of a better place to live. Better things. A better life."

Nicole scoffed: "So you put in a whole bunch of stuff that people don’t need to trick them into buying a place that they don’t need."

"They wouldn’t be looking for a new place if they didn’t- You know what, who are you to say what people need and don’t need?"

She hoofed on ahead. Nicole followed as she asked her something else.

"What if your flat was on fire?"

"What?"

"What if your flat was on fire and you had sixty seconds to grab only the most important things, what would you take?"

Waverly didn't know how to respond. 

"That’s all you really need" Nicole continued.

"Well, I’d take..."

She couldn't come up with anything.

"It’s a simple question."

Waverly got defensive.

"I’m sure in your world everything can be reduced to something that easy-peasy but my life is very complicated."

Nicole scoffed. 

"I’ve got a job, and a boyfriend and events, and all these friends and it just never stops, you just go and go. We all do the same things and have the same things and... then you have to get new things so you can be the first one to have the things and..." she stopped, overwhelmed, "there are just a lot of things. Okay?"

Nicole shrugged.

"But nothing to grab if your flat’s on fire."

Waverly huffed. She kept walking.

After some while they finally reached the top of the ridge atop the hill were the abandoned ruins of a 16th century castle appeared. Some walls have crumbled and sections were overgrown with ivy and moss and grass, but it was stunning. Just beyond the castle there were also cliffs to be seen that overlooked the sprakling sea.

Waverly stopped, taking it all in. It was truly breathtaking. 

"It’s really-"

"Told ya" Nicole nodded and stared out at the view.

Waverly looked around and noticed a bronze plaque at the entrance.

"Who are... Dee-ar-mewed and Grayne? Granay..."

"Diarmuid and Grainne." (It’s pronounced Deer-mid and Graw-nya.)

"The legend. How have you never heard it?"

"I’m not from Ireland?"

"All right, all right... let me tell you."

They entered into the interior courtyard.

"Okay so hundreds of years ago the whole of Ireland was ruled by bands of warriors. Real hard asses, right? Not like those sissy knights in King Arthur. Anyway, there was this beautiful young woman, Grainne, who had been promised in marriage to an old war lord named Fionn."

They passed under an arch that was centuries old.

"But Grainne didn’t love Fionn. I mean he was a real fart, older than her Dad, and on the night of their big betrothal feast she met another warrior, Diarmuid. He was young and handsome and.. anyway, you can see where this is going. So Grainne slipped a sleeping potion in the guests’ drinks, and convinced Diarmuid to run off with her. And they crossed the River Shannon together."

They headed towards a winding, moss covered staircase.

"When old Fionn woke up he went mental, sent his entire army off to hunt them down. But the common folk took pity and helped the young lovers hide in farmhouses and forests and even castles. There are spots all over Ireland where it’s said they once rested for the night..."

Nicole turned, Waverly was still at the bottom of the staircase. 

"Are you coming or what?"

"Is it safe?"

Nicole held her hands out to her. Waverly took them and started up.

"Anyway, rest was all they did. See Diarmuid felt guilty about betraying Fionn, and out of respect for him refused to be intimate with Grainne-"

They emerged at the top of the castle turred. The view was even more breathtaking up here. Waverly gasped.

"-until they came here. To this castle and this very same view. And unable to resist such beauty, it’s said this is the place where they finally consummated their love."

The wind blew at Waverly's hair. She looked up at Nicole who was looking back at her. No stern glare for once.

She couldn't place the feeling that washed over her in that moment.

Neither of them said something, and that’s when they heard the sound of a train whistle. Far away, but unmistakable. Waverly looked up.

She hurried to the other side of the turret. Where, way down in the valley, she could see the train chugging into the little station. Looked like miles from here.

"No. NO! THE TRAIN! THE TRAIN!!! How long have we been up here??!" she squealed at Nicole, panicked.

She took off running down the stairs. Nicole saw the train as well and chased after Waverly.

A thunder came up as Waverly ran as fast as she could from the castle. The wind was blowing. The clouds gathered quickly. Nicole still chased after her.

"We’re never gonna make it!!!"

"Relax! You’ll make it!"

"HEY! WAIT!!!" Waverly called out there in futility.

She kept running, waving at the far away station. 

And then it started raining. Hard.

"Oh great! Of course you had to take me up there! Oh, the castle, it’s grand!! *imitates Nicole*"

"I was just trying to be nice!!" Nicole shouted behind her.

"Wow! Remind me to thank you for making me miss my train-"

She losed her footing.

"WHOA!!"

And slipped. Waverly went tumbling down the hillside, which was quickly growing slick and muddy.

"That’s one way to get there" Nicole sighed.

She watched her tumble for a beat.

"Hey! Slow down! Waverly!!"

Nicole ran after her. And then she slipped, too.

Now they were both tumbling and sliding down the muddy hillside. Waverly was screaming.

Finally, they both bounced with a splash into the base of the hill. Waverly rolled to a soggy stop. Nicole was right beside her. She helped her to her feet. Wiped the mud off her face.

"Brilliant! We made it down in half the time!" she grinned at Waverly, pretended to be positive about this situation.

Waverly looked at herself. Completely covered in mud and still getting drenched from the rain. Nicole seemed to be enjoying this. 

Waverly just shouted at her.

"AAAAAUGH!!!"

And she took off running full speed towards the platform again.

"I’m coming! I’m coming! Wait!!!"

She heard the brakes release on the train. **CHSHHHH!**

"NO!!!!"

And slowly the wheels started to turn again.

"WAIT!!!"

And quickly the train moved along. Right out of the station. Waverly reached the stairs and ran up to the platform to see the train chugging away down the track.

"NOOOOO!!!!"

But it was gone. She saw Frank and turned to him, furious.

"You said you could make them wait!!!"

"I did. But I couldn’t hold ‘em forever. How was I supposed to know you were even comin’ back?"

"You have my bags!!!"

Waverly couldn't handle this. She was soaked and exhausted. Nicole finally made it up to the platform.

"That the last train today?" she asked Frank in a worried tone, gasped for air.

Frank nodded. Then they heard a sound. Like a rusty squeak. They turned and Waverly had her mouth open, about to cry, but the only sound that came out was the squeaking.

Nicole and Frank stared at her, not sure what to do. And then Waverly bursted into tears. Bawled. This was overdue.

The both of them were even more uncomfortable. Frank looked at Nicole: do something. Nicole looked at Frank: you do something.

Frank sighed: "Now, now, love. We’ll get you to Dublin."

Waverly was still crying.

He was thinking for a moment: "Ok.. Tell you what. Me and the missus have a nice little B & B up the road. You can stay with us until the next train in the morning. How does that sound?"

Waverly just kept crying. The other two were still just standing there. Nicole felt a beat of pity in her heart at the sight and it confused her.


	7. Chapter 7

Frank guided Waverly and Nicole down a hallway. Nicole’s head nearly scraped the ceiling.

"There’s a washroom at the end of the hall, it’s a share, obviously. The missus stocks it with soap and shampoo, I’ve been telling her we should charge for it but she says it’s what they do in the fine hotels so what do I know?" Frank shrugged, "there’s nice folks from Italy spendin’ the night across the hall, they’re riding across the country on bicycles."

He opened the door to their room.

In it was about half the size of the tiny one at The Haught's. The door opened into the bed, which was the only furniture in the room save for a tiny table wedged in the corner.

Frank suddenly looked right at them, stern: "Listen, the missus told me some a’ those backpackers came by earlier to spend the night but it turned out they weren’t married and she sent ‘em packin’. We'll only allow it 'cause you're two lasses and you're messed up. We usually only accept married folk".

He sighed and seemed very upset for not following his own house rules this time.

Waverly was clearly overwhelmed by this and in a loss for words. Same for Nicole. Only that suddenly the most unexpected words slipped out of her mouth.

"But we are... married."

Waverly and Frank turned to her, wide eyes.

"WHAT?" they asked simultaneously.

Frank looked at Waverly.

"I mean... yeah? We are?!" she didn't know how to join in.

"But you're both women!!" Frank said in disbelieve.

"I- uhm, yeah. We are" Nicole stammered, shocked by what she started here, "2015. Legalization of same-sex marriage in Ireland."

Frank seemed to be utterly confused. As did Waverly, but she tried her best not to.

"Uh, yeah, well. Didn't really know 'bout that. Who of you was the one proposing then??"

Waverly and Nicole looked at each other, slightly panicking.

"Me!" ... "Her!" they said at the same time.

Frank narrowed his eyes. Both of them let out an awkward laugh. Nicole continued to speak.

"What we were trying to say was.. we actually did it at the same sime. Like is was fate or something" another awkward laugh.

Waverly shook her head rapitly, trying to get Frank convinced.

"Since we meet the house rules now, I suppose we are assured to spend the night here, sir?" Nicole asked with pleading eyes.

"Hmm. Y'know what ladies, I dunno what to say. Ain't got no clue what it is with the two of you but I don't wanna be gross. Ya Ginger have Irish blood in you, I trust you to know what you're doing."

He turned to Waverly: "Dunno where you came across from though. Australia?"

"I'm from America."

"Arrrgh" he waved her off and turned to exit the room. Waverly rolled her eyes.

Then she turned to Nicole.

"What.. the hell.. did you think?!" she hissed.

"What did you want me to do? We’re not gonna walk down the road and find a Hilton! By the way, overnight stay’s gonna cost you a hundred extra" Nicole hissed back.

"Are you out of your mind? You’re lucky I’m still paying you anything at all! And no way are you sleeping in here with me. I’m so mad I can barely look at you, let alone share a room. He surely would've let us sleep in here without us pretending to be married!"

"I don't know, he was so upset about us not being married! I think it's better that way than the other. And we don’t got much choice but sharing, sorry."

Waverly looked around the room. There wasn't even a chair to sit on.

"Fine. I will sleep under the blankets, you’ll sleep on top. I'm surprised he didn't kick us out right away for pretending to be lesbians."

Nicole froze.

"Uh- uhm.. yeah.. Right. I get that it was risky. But we're still here, hm?!"

Her mood shifted into one she hadn't shown so far, and Waverly was just confused. She decided to ignore it for now though.

"Yeah.. whatever. You're going to shower first."

"Is that a hint?"

"If you need one."

Nicole sniffed her own shirt. She didn't seem that bothered by it. Then she slowly leaned over to Waverly, who tried to take a step back but couldn't, obviously.

"Least I don’t smell like sheep" she grinned spitefully.

Waverly turned bright red. Sniffed her coat.

"I knew that. I’ll go first."

Nicole smirked and held a hand out to show her to go on. Waverly tried to shimmy around to the door without actually touching her. It was nearly impossible.

As Waverly disappeared, Nicole sat down on the bed, exhausted. It creaked horribly. She put her head in her palms.

"Keep it together, Haught" she told herself.

***

Waverly, freshly showered, was in the living room having tea with Frank and his wife, Eileen. The place was cluttered in a homey way, and a fire roared in the fireplace. There were a few modern touches, such as the large flatscreen TV on which Frank was watching a soccer match. He periodically cursed at the screen.

As she fixed her tea, Waverly looked up at the wall, covered in oil portraits.

"I like your portraits."

"Oh we’ve got loads" Eileen laughed.

"Loads! My grandfather bought this property at auction, and the barn was full of these paintings. We don’t have enough walls to hang ‘em all" Frank said.

"Seriously? They must be really old... Have you had them appraised?"

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

"Have an art expert come out and see what they’re worth?"

"What for?"

"To.. see what they’re worth."

"I think what he’s trying to say, darling, is why does it matter what they’re worth? We just like to look at them" she answered for her husband.

Waverly nodded. Of course.

"So what brings you and your... wife this way?" Eileen asked with a weird but sweet smile.

Apparently Frank had informed his wife and Waverly just hoped that everything will turn out fine.

She was stumped for an answer again though.

"We’re headed to Dublin for an engagement party. Friends of Waverly’s."

Waverly looked up. Nicole was in the doorway. She was clean, and her hair was shining bride red without all the dirt that was inside of it before. And she just looked... handsome.

"Well isn’t that nice?"

"Yes it is" Waverly said as she was still looking at Nicole.

"Well, I suppose the Italians will be back from their ride soon. I’ll start supper" Eileen said.

"Tonight’s menu is sour tripe with dressing and fresh blood pudding!" Frank said and rubbed his belly.

Wavery swallowed, definitely grossed out.

"Ooh, and I got some fine jellied eel at the shop this morning" Eileen continued excitedly.

Waverly turned green. Nicole saw that.

"You know, Mrs. Reilly, I’m actually a cook myself. Since we’re crashing in on you at the last minute..."

"Japers, you want to cook dinner? How about that, Frank?"

Frank grumbled. Apparently he was looking forward to the original plan.

"Sorry, not trying to make you look bad, Sir. Waverly? Darlin’?"

Waverly looked. What? Her?

"It’s very kind of you two."

"Sure. We do it all the time. Cooking."

***

Waverly and Nicole stood in front of Eileen’s vegetable garden. Nicole held a basket and a bucket. It was still quite muddy out here.

"So, uh... what are we doing now?" Waverly asked, quite unsure what to do.

"We’re gonna need some veg. Start picking."

"Like, out of the ground?"

"No. Out of your arse. Yes, out of the ground!"

Nicole shook her head and started digging some potatoes out from the ground. Waverly gingerly bend down to reach for a carrot. She didn't really know how to approach it.

"I live in a crowded city. We don’t all have the luxury of a private vegetable garden."

"Yeah, my heart’s bleeding for all that you’re lacking. Well at least now I know what to get you for a wedding present. A dose of reality" she laughed.

"I know that this is all a big joke for you, but getting engaged is very meaningful for most people..."

She grabbed on to the carrot stem and started pulling.

"Champ and I have been a great team for the past four years and to finally be able to express our love with a lifelong commitment! ...well, it’s not something I’d expect you to understand."

The carrot wouldn't budge. She pulled harder.

"And who says I’ve never been engaged?"

Waverly looked up, surprised. And the carrot popped out of the ground, sending her flat on her ass in the mud. Nicole rolled her eyes.

"You have?"

Nicole walked over and literally lifted her off the ground. Waverly was astonished.

"You’re useless."

She carried her over to a stump by the barn, put her down like a package before Waverly could even open her mouth. Nicole handed her the bucket.

"Can you handle washing ‘em?"

Nicole walked into the garden and began to pick more vegetables. Waverly started rinsing the carrot in the bucket.

"You shouldn’t just.. pick people up like that" she said quietly, she was impressed though. Maybe something else as well.

Nicole shrugged.

"So.. when were you engaged?"

Nicole didn't answer.

Waverly was about to get annoyed again. But then, something clicked inside of her.

"It.. It was that dark haired girl in the picture, wasn’t it?"

Nicole ignored her question. But she knew she was right.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened. Didn’t work out."

She didn't seem like she wanted to talk about it, so Waverly decided to drop it. She somehow saw Nicole with different eyes now.

She admired her clean carrot for a beat as Nicole dumped some more vegetables in the bucket. Waverly took a little nibble on it.

"Okay, I picked a really good carrot."

And then a chicken came waddling up toward Nicole.

"A chicken!" Waverly said excitedly.

Nicole turned. The chicken scurried over toward Waverly. She talked to it in a funny voice.

"It’s okay, she’s not so scary."

Nicole raised an eyebrow. Waverly was fascinated.

"Look how much it likes me!"

She started making kissing sounds to the chicken.

"Hello. Hello pretty chicken. You think it’s hungry?"

"Don’t know, won’t matter in a few minutes."

And in one swift move, she grabbed the chicken by the neck and scooped it up. It squawked. She took an axe off of the coop wall.

"What are you doing, what are you doing?!" Waverly asked, seemingly shocked.

"Killing the chicken" Nicole replied unimpressed.

"What?! Why?? Why??

"For dinner. Oh, are you vegetarian?"

"No..."

"Well, where else are we gonna get chicken?"

"At the market, at a KFC, someplace else?" Waverly replied desperately.

"You’re being silly, it all comes from the same place. Now hold the bucket so you can catch the blood."

She gasped and ran back to the house. Nicole shook her head.

***

Waverly and Nicole dumped the last of their ingredients on the farmhouse table.

"Okay. The first thing we should do is make a plan. Who’s doing what, what needs to get started first-"

"-or we could just cook."

"This isn’t two old guys at your bar having snacks. We’ve got six people to feed a hotel quality dinner, we should organize."

Nicole ignored her and took a large knife out of the block. She chopped a few onions down in front of her.

"You know how to dice?"

"Yes I know how to dice" Waverly replied, annoyed.

Nicole set to work on the chicken. Waverly peeled an onion, not finished with this.

"All right, fine. But you know what they say: If you fail to plan, you might as well plan to fail."

"Well here’s what I say: The quickest way to make God laugh is to start making plans."

She brought a cleaver down hard on the chicken. THWACK!

"Better to just let things work out how they work out."

"You know, you and my dad would get along great."

"Would we?"

"It’s not a compliment."

"There’s a shocker."

Waverly shot her a look. Started to chop her onion.

"Do you know anything about Alpacas?"

"Can’t say I do" Nicole said.

"And neither did my dad but that didn’t stop him from buying one when I was fourteen. He read in a magazine you could make money selling the wool. Didn’t matter that he had no idea how to care for it, or even how to shear it or who the hell he was supposed to sell the wool to, he just had a 'good feeling about it'. Well turned out Alpacas don’t deal with Boston winters very well, and that they’re not nearly as easy to housetrain as advertised..." she shuddered at the memory, scraped the cut onions to one side as she talked, "and that carnations are actually poisonous to them, which made it a very bittersweet Valentine’s Day that year. And it was the same story with the Amway and the countertop rotisseries and the mobile video store, though at least none of those will spit goo all over your brand new red cardigan, but he had no idea what to do once he maxed out his credit card and the crap belonged to us. It was always 'gonna work out', he always 'had a good feeling about it'. Until one day the I.R.S. showed up trying to take our house. And that is no way to live."

Waverly nodded, certain. Nicole looked at her.

"Wait, so you’re saying I can make money if I just buy an alpaca?"

Waverly wasn't amused at all by this answer: "Forget it."

Nicole laughed and tossed some carrots in front of her.

"Do some carrots."

Waverly looked at her pointedly, waiting. Nicole realized.  
"Please."

Satisfied, she began chopping carrots. Nicole began slicing potatoes beside her. They were silent, but their knives quickly fell into a rhythm.

They continued cooking together, seamlessly working with and around each other to complete the meal. Stirred pots, melted butter, beat eggs. In the small space, they were constantly reaching past each other, brushed by one another. They never actually touched or spoke, just maneuvered around the kitchen in an unexpectedly graceful dance.

***

Waverly, Nicole, Frank, Eileen and Stefano and Clara, the Italian bike-riders, sat around the table finishing up dinner. There were a few empty wine bottles.

"Well. As far as I’m concerned you two can stay here whenever you want" Eileen beamed, happy with the meal.

"Delicious, just perfect" Stefano said.

Waverly was enjoying it as well: "I have to say, I’ve completely forgotten that this chicken and I had a serious relationship."

She scooped up the last bit of food on her plate.

"Frank, you planning on licking that plate clean?" Eileen asked.

"I might, woman" he hummed.

"You make a good meal, you two. Very good. Especially the chicken" Clara added.

"And I usually have a hard time with chicken. Champ always complains that I make it too dry. Clara, where did you find this wine?"

"Who is Champ?" was Claras answer aka counterquestion.

"Champ's... our next door neighbor" Nicole quickly responded for her.

Waverly looked at Nicole. Oops.

"Right. Sometimes we let him come for dinner."

"He’s extremely lonely. He’s mentally challenged you know."

Waverly shot her a look. Enough.

"Poor thing" Eileen said pitifully.

"Tragic. Anyway, we always joke, ‘only an idiot dries out a chicken’."

She looked at Waverly pointedly who patted her hand awkwardly.

"Yep. Ha. Only an idiot" she took a sip of wine.

***

Having finished dinner, the group has moved to the small sitting area in the living room. Frank was playing an old tune on a fiddle in front of the fire. Clara and Stefano cuddled on a couch together, drinking more wine. Waverly entered with Eileen carrying a tray of cookies for everyone.

She set the tray down and turned to see Eileen sit down in the last empty chair. She looked around.

"Hey Ginger, make some room for the missus!" Frank commanded Nicole.

Nicole was sitting in a large chair, not exactly made for two. She scooted over and patted the little empty sliver of cushion for Waverly. Everybody was watching so she sat down. She was half on the arm, but slowly slided down into the chair, smooshed up next to Nicole. They didn't really look at one another. Clara uncorked another bottle of wine, refilled everyone’s glass.

"Stefano bought me cases of this wine for our twentieth anniversary. We had served it at our wedding. There is so much, I give some away, I travel with some..." she said.

"Twenty years. Wow" Waverly said, impressed.

"We’ll be fifty-three years together come September" Eileen said proudly, looking at her husband.

"Fifty-three! Wow, cheers" Nicole said.

They all raised a glass.

"To love!" Waverly said. She drank quite a bit of wine.

"That really is good, you must’ve had a really fun wedding. See the thing that it is, is.. it’s just more romantic in Europe. Don’t you think? That’s why you stay married for so long. You’re more romantic."

"Who? This one?" Clara gestured to her husband, "yes, he is really romantic."

"I bring you orchidea on your birthday" he replied proudly.

"The day after my birthday."

"You say you don’t want presents, always."

Clara looked at Waverly: "Who really means that, though?"

Stefano howled: "Aaah, she is crazy. We drive each other crazy. C'è sempre un po' di follia nell'amore. Ma c'è sempre anche un po' di ragione nella follia. I think that is it, yes? There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness."

They laughed in agreement. Clara leaned over and they kissed. Frank put down his fiddle and stared at them, then cheered.

"That’s why you stay married, right there. The kissin’. Always kiss. My Dad said to me, on our wedding day: 'Always kiss your wife like it’s the first time and the last time. Every day'" he yelled and poured himself some more wine.

"Frank, that’s plenty" Eileen said, sternly.

"Careful or I’ll do more than kiss you later."

More laughter.

"I have kissed my wife today" he turned to Stefano, "you have kissed your wife today" he turned to Nicole, "have you kissed your wife today?"

Nicole and Waverly looked at one another.

"Oh yeeah" Waverly said, laughing awkwardly.

Nicole did the same: "Definitely."

"When we were just outside."

"At breakfast."

"There’s been loads of kissing. Loads."

Frank swallowed some more wine, slammed his glass down.

"Argh, don't beat about the bush! Ginger, go on and kiss your wife!!" he commanded.

Nicole didn't know what to do. Frank nodded his head, intensely. In her panic Nicole leaned in and gave Waverly the world’s quickest peck on the cheek.

Frank and Stefano groaned aloud.

"What is that, that is your kiss?" Stefano asked in disbelieve.

"That was very nice, just enough" Waverly said.

"If that’s how you kiss her I’m surprised she’s still sittin’ here!" Frank yelled.

"Well you know we’re both pretty shy, so-" Waverly was in tense.

"They are shy" Clara tried the stop the rebellious husbands.

"Do not be shy, you are with friends, con amici! Baciarla!"

"Shy. You’re young, married and in love! Kiss the girl!!"

"Kiss her like Frank say! Like it is first time and last time!"

Nicole couldn't take it any more. She looked over at Waverly who looked back at her. The air between them was so thick that they literally almost stopped breathing.

A few seconds passed and Nicole knew there was no way out now, Waverly knew that as well. She took her face in her hands, very carefully, and inched her head towards Waverlys face. Their lips brushed. Then she kissed her, gently.

Waverly wasn't registering what happened first, but after a few moments she moved her hands to cup Nicoles cheeks as well, closed her eyes. Their lips started moving against each others slowly, falling into a rhythm.

After a while Waverly opened her mouth and Nicole slightly brushed her tongue against her upper lip.

They seemed completely absorbed until realisation hit them after a while. They opened their eyes and quickly separated. They were shocked first, but quickly swept up by what must've been the most intense kiss of their lifes.

Their eyes were still at one another in awe, till they were startled from Franks and Stefanos cheering.

"Bravo!!"

"THAT'S a kiss!!"

Everyone else at the table toasted to the kiss.

"My, my" Eileen said in surprise.

Waverly and Nicole both finally looked away and reached for a drink.

***

Standing in the tiny room, both got ready for bed very silently. They undressed, facing in opposite directions. Nicole sneaked a look at Waverly, just her bare back as she pulled a nightgown over her head. Waverly turned to see Nicole, pulling her t-shirt over her head. She just looked damn good shirtless.

Waverly quickly dived under the blankets on her side of the bed.

Nicole insecurely followed, lied down on top of the blankets. As promised, on her side of the bed.

They haven't spoken since the kiss and Waverly was debating whether or not to adress what happened to make it less awkward. Also, she was very confused about... stuff.

"Nicole.. I-"

"It's okay, Waverly."

"What?"

"We were just saving our butts, is all. I'm sorry that this happened."

Waverly turned around to face Nicole.

"No.. you don't have to be sorry. I mean there was no other choice. Are you angry now?"

"I am not angry. I'm just.." she was obviously in tense, "argh, let's drop it. We need to sleep now".

She turned her back towards Waverly and snapped the bedside lamp off.

Waverly was seemingly unsatisfied with Nicoles reaction but knew she had no chance getting more out of her. She sighed.

"..good night then."

"Yeah.. Good night."

They were lying there, the world’s largest wall of sexual tension between them. Neither one of them looked like they’ll be able to sleep so soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Waverly and Nicole were asleep. They’ve managed to get curled up against each other in the small bed. The sound of a car starting outside woke Waverly.

Her eyes slowly opened. She was face to face with Nicole, noses almost touching. She immediately backed up and looked down, relieved to see she was still fully-clothed. She blushed that she was even thinking of the possibility of this and quickly and quietly scrambled out of the bed.

She went downstairs and saw a little phone nook. There was only one right thing do to.

"...Champ?"

Champ was far away, eating a beautiful room service breakfast.

"Hey!" he took the call.

"I miss you so much!"

"Oh? Yeah, I miss you too, sweetie!"

***

Nicole woke up and saw that Waverly’s side of the bed was empty. She stretched and couldn't help but letting her thought wander to last night. A weird yet motivational feeling let her shoot up from the bed.

She went down to the kitchen and saw a bowl with apples. She grabbed one and suddenly saw Waverly down the hall in the phone nook. After some debating she grabbed a second apple for her, a tiny smile on her lips.

She walked down the hall to her, apple in hand, and then heard the conversation.

"Honey, I am so sorry I’m not there yet. You can’t imagine the nightmare that I’m trapped in" Waverly whined.

"I feel terrible. You came all this way to see me and you’re having the worst time. Well I promise when you get here I’ll make it all worthwhile."

"Oh really..." she smirked.

Nicole backed away a bit so Waverly didn't see her. She set the extra apple down, upset.

"And I’ve got good news..." Champ said.

"You do?"

"I heard from the co-op board last night. It’s official. We got it! We’re moving into The Waterford!"

"No!" Waverly had wide eyes.

"We get the keys the first of the month. It’s all ours. The park and river views, two fireplaces, maple wood floors, and walk in closets... Congratulations, Miss 15B! I’m toasting you right now over the phone. You hear that?"

He toasted his coffee cup against the phone.

"Come on! Get a glass of something and toast me back! I don’t hear you..." he continued.

Waverly smiled. She grabbed a nearby souvenir mug and toasted it to the phone. She also noticed Nicole, who was trying to back away, unnoticed.

"Congratulations, Dr. 15B."

Waverly turned away from her with mixed feelings. Nicole headed back into the kitchen.

"Well, look I promise I’ll be there tonight. I’m catching the first train this morning. And then we can celebrate in person..."

***

Waverly entered her mission with a renewed focus. She was sitting in the common room with Frank and Nicole.

"Well? Should we head back to the station? I don’t want to miss the train!" she said.

Frank looked at her: "Well you needn’t wait at the station all day til tomorrow, dear."

"Tomorrow? Why would I wait until tomorrow?" she was confused.

"Because that’s when the next train leaves!"

She stared at him. He couldn't mean that.

"No. You said I could stay here and 'catch the next train in the morning'.”

"Aye. Tomorrow morning. Today’s Sunday. The station’s closed."

"Oh well. Looks like Dr. 15B is gonna have to wait another day" Nicole teased.

Waverly turned, annoyed. Nicole feigned disbelief.

"This is just not your weekend" she added, "hey you know what, maybe if you pay him he’ll open the entire train station just for you."

She glared at Nicole, then quickly turned to Frank.

"Can you actually do that?"

"I can do whatever I want, but I won’t do it on the Lord’s day. And I certainly won’t do it for money" Frank said.

Nicole snorted.

"Okay how about love, Frank? Would you get me to Dublin for love?"

"Absolutely. Just not on Sunday. Though you needn’t worry, your love is right here with you. You both proved that beyond a doubt with that kiss last night."

He whistled, still cheering about their glorious kiss. Nicole stopped smiling instantly. Waverly wasn't amused herself at all, but wasn't going to give up that easy.

"All right, where are the Italians? They have a car, right? They can drive us-"

"-they left before you two woke up. Oh, they said to say goodbye. And if you two are ever in Bologna to look them up-"

"-I’m not going to Bologna, Frank! Now, do you have a car?"

"I do. But I-"

"-won’t drive on a Sunday" Waverly and Nicole completed the sentence, simultaneously.

"Correct!"

"Isn’t there anyone in this GODDAMN country who can help me get to Dublin?!!" Waverly suddenly bursted out, yelling a bit.

Silence in the whole room. Frank’s eyes narrowed to a grim glare.

***

Once again, Waverly and Nicole were walking. Waverly pulled her luggage behind her, Nicole was now toting one of her bags too.

"Well done there" Nicole said in a annoyed voice.

"Shut up."

"I wouldn’t tell the person who’s carrying your bag to shut up, which, by the way, I’m charging you extra for."

"Of course you are. How about doing what I’m actually paying you for, which is to get me to Dublin, instead of leading me on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to hell so you can keep milking me for cash" Waverly hissed.

"Is that what you think I’m doing? Ha! Trust me, I’ll be thrilled to get rid of you in Dublin" Nicole acted as if that sentence didn't hurt herself. But she tried to not care. What for?

"And I’ll be thrilled to get there. And get as far away from you as possible" Waverly replied, feeling the same kind if guilt.

She walked on ahead when after a while she suddenly got hit on the head by something.

"Ow! What the-"

She turned to Nicole: "Could you please stop doing that?!!"

"I'm not doing anything!!"

And she watched her get hit, too. Nicole looked up at the clouds...

...and hail started raining down on them.

"Hail! Come on!!" Nicole yelled.

It was coming down hard. Pelted them hard. They ran up the road with the bags.

"What’s next, a tornado?!" Waverly yelped.

Nicole grabbed her other bag.

"Well at least you can’t blame this one on me!"

They continued running down the road.

After a while they spotted a church up ahead. Nicole pointed it out and they made a run for it.

***

The place was packed inside - for a wedding. A young bride and groom received the blessings of a priest.

"Paul and Fiona have exchanged their marriage vows and declared their consent before the congregation. Therefore in the name of God, I pronounce them-"

- **BLAM!** The doors of the church flew open and Nicole and Waverly landed inside.

"Bloody fucking hell!" Nicole yelled, they both laughed.

Everybody turned. Suddenly they realized what they’ve just interrupted.

Waverly cringed hard and announced: "It’s hailing. Outside. Huge. *long silence* ...congratulations?"

***

The hail had turned to heavy rain. A local band was playing.

The curch hall was packed with people dancing, drinking and celebrating. It looked like the entire town showed up for this party. Four shirtless men stood on a table, drunkenly singing/shouting The Spice Girl’s 'Wannabe' as everyone cheered. One of the guys fell off the table and the rest kept right on singing. Old folks danced with young folks, the priest took a turn on the electric bass. A videographer got it all down. The room was bursting with uninhibited joy.

And in the back, seated at one of the tables, there were Waverly and Nicole. Waverly had a small plate of food while Nicole seemed to be drinking her meal, knocking back a shot of whiskey and then chased it with a pint of Guinness.

"It was really nice of them to invite us to stay" Waverly said, gleefully.

"What? I hate weddings. I told you. All this? Pointless" Nicole groaned.

She grabbed a champagne from a passing waiter.

"Yet somehow you’re the one who was engaged" Waverly replied, teasingly.

Nicole didn't respond, just downed the champagne. Waverly shook her head. Meanwhile, the bride took the mic up on stage.

"Oi! OI!! Shut it you drunks, I want to toast my husband!" she seemed quite tipsy herself.

The Groom was sitting beside her. Everyone cheered and clinked their spoons on their glasses, demanded that they kiss.

She grabbed her new husband and they went for it. Everybody whistled.

The Bride steadied herself at the mic: "All right then. All right. Whoo! Now I’m nervous all of a sudden. Glad I wrote something down."

She hiked up her gown and pulled some notepaper out her garter. The men whistled again.

The Groom put his fists up comically: "Oi! That’s my wife you’re whistling at!!"

"My hero."

Nicole found this all too cloying, rolled her eyes. She refilled her whiskey from a bottle on the table. The bride continued with her speech.

"Paul. It’s hard to believe we are finally married. When I look at you beside me, I think of all the wonderful memories we’ve shared in such a short time-"

Nicole laughed and whispered to Waverly.

"Really? She’s not gonna mention the shit memories? What a surprise..."

"Shh!!" Waverly hissed.

She moved Nicole's whiskey away, she’s had enough. Nicole simply moved it back. The bride continued.

"-and the thousands more we’ll create together. You, me, and the children we’ve yet to have-"

"That one’ll gain four stone after the first and Paul’ll never leave the pub" Nicole laughed again.

Waverly turned to her, aghast. Nicole zipped her lip.

"-and I know lots of people have said this before, but it really is how I feel, so: 'My husband, may you never steal, lie, or cheat. But if you must steal, steal away my sorrows. If you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life-”

Waverly looked at Nicole, waiting for the next snide comment. But she was listening now.

“-and if you must cheat.. please cheat death', because I couldn’t live a day without you."

Nicole looked a little pale. She quickly got up, knocked her chair to the floor in the process.

The guests were applauding the Bride’s heartfelt toast, so Waverly was the only one to notice.

Nicole rushed out of the room, Waverly quietly followed.

***

She found Nicole up under a chilly old portico, overlooking a small mossy cemetery. There were lush hills in the distance. It was still raining.

"Ahh, go back inside, would you?" Nicole said as soon as she noticed Waverly.

Waverly looked at her as she was gazing off at the cemetery. She looked tired.

"Are you... all right?" she asked carefully.

"I’m fine. Hot as hell in there."

And her voice sounded worse. Sad.

She continued: "Go on. You wanna be first in line when she throws the flowers."

"It’s a bouquet" Waverly simply replied.

Nicole turned, ready to counter, but just didn't have it in her.

"Who cares."

She looked back out at the rain. And it finally dawned on Waverly.

"She left you. Right?"

Nicole looked at her, but didn't respond.

"I’m sorry.."

Nicole waved her hand: "Whatever."

"We don’t... have to talk about it" Waverly carefully continued to try, even though she wouldn't have been surprised if Nicole would've insulted her in the next moment.

There’s was long silence. Then Nicole finally spoke.

"She’s in Dublin."

Waverly nodded, listening intently.

"So you guys were engaged and she just..."

Nicole nodded: "Yep. Guy with a Range Rover." She managed a wry smile. Waverly looked embarrassed.

"A guy?? I mean have you...? You must miss her."

Nicole tried to be flip.

"Ahh. She’s his problem now, right?" she looked off into the cemetery, "still, I gave her my Ma’s ring, her Claddagh. You’ve seen them, with the two hands holding the crowned heart...?"

She put her hands in the shape of the ring. Waverly recognized it.

"It’s tradition to use it as an engagement ring. It was one of the few things I had left from my Ma. Brilliant move there."

She gave a bitter laugh, full of self loathing.

Waverly looked at her, feeling pitiful.

"You know... when we get to Dublin, you could find her. And get it back."

Nicole scoffed: "Yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna have much need for that ring again."

"You don’t know that. You’ve got a lot going for you. You can cook... wrangle sheep, rescue damsels... You’re not exactly the best wedding date, but it’s not like you’re a complete-"

"-dumbass who doesn’t know her arse from her elbow?" Nicole smirked.

"No!" Waverly paused for a moment, "but you said it. I didn't."

And then Nicole laughed. She actually laughed. Not a mean, mischievous or ironic laugh. No, a hearty laugh. And Waverly thought it was one of the most precious sounds she had ever heard.

Nicole looked relieved to have unburdened herself.

***

The bandleader boomed into the mic.

"All right, lassies! Let’s get all the ladies up here for the slip jig!!"

The women hooted and rushed to the dance floor as the band began a traditional Irish slip jig.

Waverly and Nicole walked back into the meeting hall as the bride rushed past on her way to the dance floor. She stopped and looked at them.

"Oi! It’s Hail Girl! And her friend! C’mon!"

"I'm out! Never been a friend of dancin'! Don't even try to get me up there!" Nicole made clear she won't participate for the world.

"Oi, shame. Then you! C'mon!!"

She tried to grab Waverly and pulled her along.

"No, that’s all right, really-" Waverly tried to protest.

"Ain't taking no excuses anymore, one of you has to come with me now!"

"Actually, I don’t-"

"-go on! Don’t want to insult the bride even more now" Nicole said with a grin.

She chuckled as the bride pulled Waverly to the dancefloor.

The bride joined right in as the women started to dance. The slip jig was a spirited, high kicking, traditional dance with complicated rhythms.

Waverly tried to hide on the edges of the group, but the ladies kept pulling her in, tried to show her the steps. The people who didn't dance surround the dancers, clapped and cheered.

Waverly attempted to follow along with some of the women and began to get some of the moves. She was awkward and off, but the women encouraged her. She smiled and kept trying.

Nicole stepped up to get a better look. And she saw her, giving it her ungraceful best, laughing at herself while twirling and kicking. And she couldn't take her eyes off of her.

Waverly looked up to see Nicole looking at her. Nicole smiled, warm. Waverly smiled back at her. They held their gaze for a beat, and then Waverly bumped into the girl next to her and had to twirl back around to keep up with the dance.

Eventually every dancer got a little solo moment in the circle. When Waverly was up she was confident enough to give it a try.

She kicked and twirled and everyone cheered. Nicole cheered her on, too. Getting confident, she kicked her legs even higher, to big cheers.

She kept going, gave an even higher kick and...

...sent her shoe flying right off her foot, sailing across the room and THUNK! It nailed the priest right on the head. He dropped.

Everyone gasped. Waverly looked horrified.

***

The priest was sitting at a table with a bag of ice on his head. Waverly stood next to him, she felt awful.

"I am sooo so sorry!" she said, nervously.

The priest waved her a little closer. She leaned in.

"You realize now you’re going straight to hell."

Waverly was taken aback: "I- what?!"

"Ah, I’m just twistin’ hay. I’m fine dear, been hit with worse during my sermons!" he laughed.

Waverly laughed with him, relieved. Suddenly Nicole came up with a couple in their 20’s.

"Waverly, this is Sharon and Alan. They’re leaving now."

Waverly looked a bit sad for them.

"Oh, well that’s too bad. Did you have a good time?"

"No, they’re.. going to drive us to the bus."

"Oh! Oh, wow is it-? *looks around for a clock* It’s over now? We didn’t even have dessert!"

Nicole looked at her curiously. Suddenly Waverly remembered that she was on a mission actually. She almost forgot it with all the good time she was having.

"I mean, it’s very, very nice of you. Of course. I’ll just get my coat."

***

Waverly and Nicole were sitting in the back seat of Sharons and Alans car. Their two year-old son David was seated between Nicole and Waverly.

"You’re sure this isn’t out of your way?" Waverly asked them.

"Nah, we’re taking David to my parents’ house for supper, it’s just past the bus depot. I’m surprised he’s not sound asleep from all the excitement at the wedding" Sharon replied.

"I think he’s too wrapped up in Nicole back there" Alan giggled.

Nicole was holding out her finger for David to grab. Each time he did, she pretended that the toddler was incredibly strong and winced and groand in faux-pain. The child loved it, laughed like crazy. Waverly was watching this.

"I think he may want to get on the bus with you, look out" Sharon chuckled as she looked at her son in the rear mirror.

Nicole talked to David: "Is that so? You want to go to Dublin, do you? Well let me tell you something about Dublin, lad..."

She pointed a finger at David who of course grabbed it again, repeating their routine.

Waverly kept her eyes on Nicole as she played with the child. She smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been absent for a while! Here I am again. Enjoy!

The station wagon pulled off the motorway into the very quiet bus depot parking lot. A bus was idling out front, a few passengers were boarding.

Waverly’s eyes lit up when she saw the bus.

"Oh my god a bus! Look!" she looked at Nicole, "I never thought I’d be so happy to see public transportation!"

She laughed giddily. Nicole gave David one last tickle.

"See ya, hardman" she said to him.

Waverly jumped out with her bags, yelled to Alan and Sharon.

"Thank you guys!! Thank you so much!!"

Too excited for more words she ran for the depot. Nicole got out and closed the door, nodded to the couple.

"Thanks much. We appreciate it."

She began to follow after Waverly.

"Oh wait!"

Nicole stopped.

"You forgot your cake!"

Sharon reached onto the floor and pulled out a box from the wedding, a slice of wedding cake inside.

"Oh... That’s all right."

"No, you gonna put it under your pillow so you dream about the person you love! ...she might like it."

Nicole stared at them, scared by the obvious tone of the last sentence. She didn't move.

"C'mon now!" Sharon insisted.

She gave in, walked back to the car and accepted the cake.

"T.. thank you."

They bid her goodbye and drove away. Nicole turned back to the depot, but didn't see Waverly. She decided to sit on a nearby bench to wait for her. Suddenly a shock rushed through her veins at what she saw: A bus pulling away.

"Did she-?"

The bus pulled out onto the motorway. She looked back at the depot, it was empty. The only other person in there was an employee behind a counter and a woman running a coffee cart.

Nicole looked quite stunned, and more than a little wounded. Waverly was gone.

She stood there, holding the box with the cake.

"She didn’t even say goodbye."

She turned to watch the bus drive away... just as Waverly walked out of the bathroom. Nicole didn't see her.

Waverly saw Nicole though. She seemed sullen while watching a bus drive off. Looked hurt and abandoned. Waverly took this in for a beat, then picked up a bag at the coffee cart. She thanked the woman.

She walked up to Nicole, pretended not to have seen her private moment.

She took two wrapped pastries out of the bag.

"So apparently we’ve got one filled with chocolate and the other one with some sort of jam."

Nicole turned to see Waverly coming towards her. She looked surprised, heavily relieved even, but tried to cover.

"And I absolutely can’t tell which is which. Here!"

Nicole took one, still a little surprised.

"Ooh, and we have cake too? Score!"

She took the box of cake from Nicole.

"So our bus won’t be here for another twenty minutes."

She held up two bus tickets. Nicole was still catching up.

"Oh. You want me to go with you then?" she finally spoke.

"You don’t think I’m getting on that bus myself, do you? After the two days I’ve had? Who knows what could happen to me? I could get robbed, caught in a flash flood, carried off by a pterodactyl..."

She put the ticket in Nicoles hand.

"I’m paying you to get me to Dublin, and you will get me to Dublin."

Nicole smiled.

Waverly looked at the pastry in her hand and quickly swapped it out for Nicoles. Nicole looked at her.

"What? I bought them!" she smiled and walked back to the depot. Nicole followed.

***

The bus traveled through a lush, green valley. The sun was finally shining.

They sat in the half-filled bus. Waverly looked out the window, letting the sun warm her face. She turned to look at Nicole, seated beside her. She was asleep. Waverly watched her for a minute, thoughtful.

Nicole had a beautiful face. It was nice to see it without this usually grim look, so relaxed. The sun made her red hair shine like fire. She was tempted to brush her fingers trough it...

Before she could lose herself even more in this thoughts, reality hit her. She startled and instantly turned back to the window, trying to focus on something else.

She tried to think of Champ, it didn't feel comfortable at this moment though.

After a while fatigue washed over her. She yawned and closed her eyes.

***

The bus passed a sign: **DUBLIN - 40km.**

Nicole slowly opened her eyes, remembering where she was. She shifted and suddenly realized that Waverly has fallen asleep on her shoulder.

She usually would do anything now to get this head somewhere else, but instead she took her jacket which had been on her lap and draped it over Waverlys sleeping body. Nicole watched her sleep for a while, thoughtful.

***

Nicole was standing by the bus, next to Waverly’s bags. Waverly walked over from a pay phone.

"I left a message at the front desk for Champ. Let him know I’m here..."

Nicole nodded.

"So... Dublin!" Waverly suddenly held her hands up.

"You’re here" Nicole wanted to be happy for her.

"I’m here."

"With a day to spare, I might add."

Waverly looked around at the bustling city station, suddenly out of sorts.

"Whoo. It’s like sensory overload."

"Come on, Dublin can’t be as crowded as Boston?"

"No. I’m just not... revved back up to speed."

Waverly took a breath. Reality sank in. She seemed quite unsure of what to do now.

"So."

"So" Nicole replied.

They stood there looking at one another. Neither moved.

"I guess we should... I should pay you?"

Nicole didn't seem ready for this either.

"Oh. Yeah... well I didn’t actually get you to the hotel."

"Oh right! No, no you didn’t. And I should probably hit an ATM, what with all my extra charges!" Waverly replied, quickly.

"Yeah definitely, I’m sure there’s one on the way."

"Good. So we’ll walk?"

Nicole nodded. They both looked a bit insecure, relieved to go for a walk now though.

***

The sun was just starting to begin its descent. Both of them walked through the streets together. They passed well-known landmarks: Trinity College, street performers by the statue of Molly Malone, Merrion Square and the statue of Oscar Wilde.

Their last stop was the center of Ha’Penny bridge, looking out at the Liffey River.

There was more silence than talking between them as they walked around the city. Both seemed to have an inner conflict, but they also had a lot of fun and enjoyed the day together without any unlucky incidents in between for a change.

***

A stately Georgian hotel with uniformed doormen outside. Nicole and Waverly entered.

They approached a very formal, high ceilinged European lobby. A grand staircase led up to the reception. A porter immediately relieved Waverly of her bags.

"Checking in, ma’am?"

"Yes. I mean, meeting someone who’s already checked in."

"I’ll bring these up to reception" said the porter.

He headed across the lobby to the staircase. Waverly and Nicole followed.

"I can’t believe I’m actually here" Waverly bursted out.

"Finally, eh?"

Nicole tried to be enthusiastic for her, but the hint of disappointment in her voice was undeniable.

"Yeah" Waverly looked around, exhaled, "I’m actually a little nervous. You’d think I was about to propose to someone or something."

"Ah, you still got one more day."

"You’re right."

They began to climbe the staircase together.

"Oh, don’t let me forget your money!"

She digged in her purse as they walked. She came up with a wad of bills.

"This should probably do it. You should count it though."

Nicole regarded it for a moment, but something in her switched.

"Keep it."

"No-"

"It’s okay."

"No, we had a deal. Come on, two days of misery? We wrecked your car!"

Nicole shook her head. She was sure.

"You keep it."

Waverly was truly puzzled by this.

"But-"

They suddenly reached the top of the stairs. That’s it, they couldn’t go any further and they knew it. They stopped there, right at the top step.

"I don’t know what to say."

Nicole shrugged: "Off with you then."

"I’m off."

But Waverly didn’t move. Neither did Nicole. 

"Well... goodbye" Waverly said, insecure voice.

Nicole nodded, looked down into her eyes.

"I’d say 'good luck'... but I know you don’t believe in it."

Waverly gazed back up at her.

"Well... actually... I think... I think I’m lucky I met you" she said softly.

She saw that Nicoles somewhat mezmerising gaze was switching between her eyes and lips. Waverly suddenly felt like something was pulling her towards her and she really did consider it for a moment. A massive tingle was shooting through her body.

Neither of them could stop from slowly moving closer together... closer...

"Waverly!"

Waverly turned. There was Champ, all the way across the hall, coming towards her with a big grin.


	10. Chapter 10

Champ turned and impatiently cued a string quartet standing a few feet away. He started to walk towards Waverly, motioned for them to follow.

Waverly looked very confused. A concierge rushed to Champ's side with a massive arrangement of roses, and handed them to him. Nicole took a step back.

"You made it!" Champ said with a grin.

"What is all this?"

He handed Waverly the roses.

"I missed you."

Waverly laughed, a bit taken aback.

"I- I missed you too."

Champ leaned in and they kissed for a moment. Nicole watched this, indescribable look on her face.

"No. I really missed you. And it got me thinking..."

He sank down to one knee. Waverly was stunned. Nicole looked surprised. Other hotel guests watched them, curiously.

"Why aren’t we married?"

"What?"

"Why aren’t we married?"

"Are- are you serious?"

"Would I have done all this if I wasn’t serious? This would be one elaborate and expensive practical joke. I’m down on one knee, I got these guys here..."

He nodded at the musicians. Waverly was reeling. Suddenly, Champ pulled a ring box from his pocket. 

"I want us to get married."

He opened the box and presented it to her. A sparkling diamond ring.

"Sorry, it was the best I could do on short notice."

"Champ..."

She lookd down at him, unshed tears in her eyes. She couldn't really place why she felt like crying.

"Waverly.. Will you marry me?"

Waverly was overwhelmed. Something in her made her hesitate to say yes. But then she tried to remember. Why she came here at all. She had a mission, and she certainly didn't go through all the disasters of the last few days for nothing.

She shook off all uncertainties and just went for it without thinking about it any further. That's when it blurted out of her.

"...yes. Yes!!"

He stood up, put the ring on her finger, they kissed. Everyone in the lobby applauded. Except Nicole.

Champ nodded at everyone, proud. But then saw the red haired woman, who was looking at Waverly. He stopped and looked at her, curious.

"Do I know you?"

Waverly looked up. She gasped at the sight of Nicole. Something like regret pierced through her, but she swallowed it.

"Oh! Uhm... this is Nicole! Nicole, Champ. Champ, Nicole. She’s the... she drove me here. From Dingle."

Champ immediately warmed.

"Oh, hey! Champ Hardy. How are ya, lady?"

Nicole just nodded, said nothing. Champ tried to break the ice.

"Wait, I heard a good Dublin joke, you wanna hear it? 'How can you tell if an Irishman’s having a good time?'"

Nicole and Waverly both looked at him.

“'He’s Dublin’ over with laughter!!' Right??"

He laughed. Nicole didn't.

Champ decided she was humorless and took Waverly by the arm.

"All right, well thanks for getting her here" he turned to Waverly, "I ordered some Veuve to the room. Thought you’d want to relax a little before dinner."

He started leading her to the elevator.

Waverly turned to look for Nicole.

Nicole gave her a little wave while looking kind of defeated.

Waverly smiled at her, a little bit sad. She couldn't really comprehend that she had to leave Nicole behind now.

A young couple staying at the hotel came up to them.

"Congratulations!" said the woman.

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, thanks for making us all look bad" the man turned to Champ, “'Why didn’t you propose to me with a string quartet?' is what I’ll be getting all night!"

His wife swatted him playfully. They all laughed, except Waverly who turned around to look for Nicole one more time. 

She was gone.

***

Nicole exited The Shelbourne. 

Actually, she should be glad that she had finally delivered Waverly to her... now fiancé. That was her goal.

But she wasn't. She wasn't glad.

Annoyed by her unwanted emotions, she stood in front of the luxury hotel, wondering what to do next.

As she was looking around she spotted a payphone at the edge of a park. She crossed the street and walked towards it.

Glancing back up at the hotel, she picked up the phone.

***

Waverly exited the bathroom, wrapped in a robe. Champ was on the bed, scrolled through photos on his digital camera.

"I gave my camera to the bellboy right before you got here. Look at your face when I got down on one knee! Think you could look more surprised?"

Laughing, he held the camera out to Waverly. She looked at the picture and indeed seemed completely stunned.

She chuckled... till she saw her.

Just at the edge of the frame... Nicole. Waverly’s smile faded a bit.

"Scroll through, look at the others."

She scrolled through a few more. Like slow stop-motions, Nicole eventually disappeared from the frame, leaving only Champ and Waverly.

***

Nicole was standing out on the sidewalk, near a bunch of smokers, as she waited for someone or something.

Soon, a pretty, tired-looking and dark haired woman with an apron emerged from the pub.

She stepped away from the crowd and leaned up against a wall, took a cigarette out of her apron to lit it up.

"Shae."

The black-haired woman looked up. It took a second for her to register, but then she was shocked.

"Nic? What are ya...?"

She straightened, fixed her hair as Nicole approached her.

"Look at me, I’m- I’m gobsmacked. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?"

Nicole shrugged.

"Didn’t know I was. And I didn’t know where you were anyways. I just called your Ma, she told me."

They both stood there. It was awkward.

"Well you... you look great."

"Thanks."

When Nicole didn’t return the compliment, Shae laughed softly.

"And I look fantastic."

"Well what do you expect me to say?"

Shae shrugged, took a drag of her cigarette.

"Look at me, my hands are shaking. So... my Ma must’ve told you."

Nicole nodded.

"He found another girl to ride in his Rover?"

Shae shook her head.

"I wanted to call you but I was... well I was embarrassed. I mean, I was only here a month, and... I sure as shite couldn’t come back to Dingle, what would people say?"

"They already said it."

Shae laughed a little, nodded.

“'I’m sorry' doesn’t really have the greatest ring, does it? There should be somethin’ better."

"There should."

"I am though."

"I know."

A burly looking guy knocked on the glass window of the pub. Shae turned.

"Shit. We’re jammers tonight. I gotta..."

She stepped closer to Nicole, hurried and desperate.

"I miss you, Nic. I miss our life. Come back. Come back when I’m done here tonight. We can talk..."

She touched Nicoles face as she continued to speak.

"I hate Dublin. I wake up thinkin’ about Dingle, the HAUGHT'S... and you."

Full of emotions, she leaned in and kissed Nicole.

"I’m wrecked without you."

Nicole had to process what was happening. After a few seconds, she gently pushed Shae away.

"Shae..."

"Nic, I still love you."

Nicole exhaled as she rubbed her head, clearly confused. Suddenly something catched her eye. It was the claddagh ring, on a chain around Shae's neck.

"Well, look at that."

She picked it up gently and held it in her fingers. 

"I didn’t wear it with him, I would never. But after, it just made me... You don’t mind, do you?" Shae stuttered.

Nicole looked at her, then back at the ring. Shae looked up at her and smiled.

***

An elegant, trendy and expensive restaurant.

Waverly and Champ sat at a candle lit table, toasted with Champagne. 

"Miss, I see you’re wearing an engagement ring. Would this mean you’re off the market?"

Waverly played along.

"Why yes, I am. I’m engaged to a handsome doctor. He’s quite dashing."

She put her hand up by her throat, showed off the ring. Champ looked at the ring and frowned.

"I should’ve gotten you a ring in Boston. I could’ve done a lot better."

He took a drink.

"All the guy here wanted to do was sell me this ring with two hands holding a heart. Just ridiculous. He was bordering on aggressive, I almost walked out. The thing didn’t even have a diamond."

Waverly looked at him, then at the ring on her hand. She was a little taken aback by his opinion about the ring that she admired through a shop window just a few days ago.

"They’re big on lamb here. Can we find something minus lamb...?"

"Kiss me" Waverly suddenly blurted out.

"Sure baby."

He leaned over and gave her a familiar peck. He then looked back at the menu.

"What do we think of haddock? Do I like haddock?"

"No. I want you to- I want you to kiss me like it’s the first time and the last time."

Champ looked baffled. A waiter approached them.

"Come on. Kiss me like it’s the first time you’ve ever kissed me and like you might never get to kiss me again."

"Have you had a chance to look at the menu?" the waiter asked.

"I’m sorry, we need a minute" Waverly said.

"Of course" the waiter left again.

"Auugh, I’m starving" Champ complained.

"I want you to kiss me like that."

"What, like what?"

"Like how I said."

"Like the first time and the last time? What is this some kind of a test?" he laughed.

"No-"

"We’re in a restaurant full of people!"

"I’m sorry. You’re right, it’s silly. Never mind."

Waverly waved it off, trying to hide her disappointment.

"No, you know what? I’m sorry."

Champ leaned over and gave her a big kiss on the lips. 

"How was that?" he grinned.

"Perfect" Waverly smiled.

But the delivery and the look on her face seemed like it was less than that. Champ put his menu down, resolved.

"Salmon!"

Waverly didn't really listen. She tried to search some feeling out of the kiss with Champ.

Suddenly she was hit by a flashback. A flashback to those nights at Frank's and Eileen's house.

How she sat in one armchair together with Nicole.  
How they held each other's faces.  
How their lips touched.  
How a tingling feeling flowed through her whole body.

"Waverly..?"

"Wha- yeah?"

Champ's voice ripped her out of the frighteningly real flashback, and she did it again. She swallowed it. He gave her a questioning look.

"Uhm, yeah. Salmon it is!" she said in a high-pitched voice along with the fakiest smile.

***

Nicole got on the bus, it was the middle of the night. She had just enough money to make it back to Dingle.

As the bus pulled out of Dublin, she felt as though she was being stung in her heart. She hated that feeling. She hated it.

Her walls crumbled and it scared her. No matter what she did, she saw her face. And each time it was like a new punch in the walls.

Overwhelmed and angry, she tried to stop her musing. It was in vain anyway, she would not see her again.

She tried to sleep a little.

***

Nicole walked down the little village street and unlocked the doors to the HAUGHT'S.

She headed into her tiny office, there was an antique wooden cigarette box on the desk. She emptied it of receipts and notes before she reached into her pocket.

As she pulled something out of it, a shiny little thing came to light. It was her mother's claddagh ring.

She put it in the box, closed the lid and placed it back in her desk drawer.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers, I am sincerely sorry that you have had to wait so long. I always had the story in the back of my mind, but my life happened to get on detours as well, haha! I hope that despite the long wait you still enjoy the little story! Thanks for your loyalty!

Waverly and Champ were walking together through Dublins streets.

"We need to get you a souvenir before we go. A shillelagh? What is a shillelagh?"

"I have no idea" Waverly held up her ring, "but I’ve already got a souvenir."

Waverly didn't realize it, but they were coming up in front of a church. The Carmelite Church, where St. Valentine was interred. The only reason one might know this is that many women have chosen this as a place to propose. And it was happening now. There were quite a few cameras capturing the event.

"Maybe something for the apartment."

Champ looked around and saw the goings-on.

"What’s all this?"

Waverly stared. There it was. That could’ve been her.

She was thrilled, but Champ apparently wasn't. She lied.

"I- don’t know..."

Champ stopped a Police Officer.

"What’s happening over there?"

"February 29th, Leap Day. Women can propose marriage to the men" the Officer told him.

"You’re kidding."

The Officer shook his head. 

"That’s great! Look baby! I could’ve waited one more day and made you propose to me!"

He said that in a somehow ironic way and laughed. Waverly awkwardly joined in.

He just walked on, but Waverly didn't really notice and lingered for a moment.

"Waverly! Come on!" he said.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm comming.."

She turned and followed, feeling quite uncomfortable.

***

Nicole was on a ladder out in front of the tavern. She was working on the run-down sign.

The two old men, her two favorite regulars, watched her from the street below, curious.

***

Waverly and Champ rode in a cab, following the signs to the airport. Champ was on his phone.

They didn't really talk while waiting for their flight. Waverly wasn't in the mood anyway. She was thinking. Thinking of a certain person. Whatever she did, she came up. And the thought of being at the place that will definitivelly seperate her from her made her nervous.

As the time passed by, they were ready to board their flight back home. As Waverly approached the gate agent, she hesitated. Champ looked at her. She snapped out of it and handed the agent her ticket. There was no going back.

She sat down in her seat and looked out of the window. She felt very emotional, but with Champ sitting beside her, she tried to hide it. The good old pattern that never seemed to end.

The plane took off.

Dublin shrinked away, and they were out over the water.

It felt wrong. So wrong. She felt a tear rolling down one cheek.

She quickly lowered the window shade shut, trying to keep it together.

Champ didn't notice anything, wearing earplugs and listening to music.

***

The streets of Boston were crowded with life and the Waterford gleamed above it all.

A housewarming party was underway for Waverly and Champ in their new dream apartment. Expensively dressed couples mingled and admired the expensively decorated apartment. 

The doorbell rang. The two of them greeted Wynonna and her boyfriend, Dolls.

"Congratulations, baby girl."

"Thanks, 'Nonna" Waverly smiled.

"This man better knows how lucky he is. Otherwise I'll kick his..."

"Gosh, I missed you."

They laughed and gave each other a big hug.

"Honey. Look at this place! Did I tell you it was fancy-pancy?" Wynonna yelled over to Dolls.

He turned to Champ: "You’re making me look bad, man."

Champ laughed as they walked past. 

***

All the guests admired the new place. Champ and Waverly were giving a little tour to their friends, Kate and John Henry.

"And watch this..."

Champ held up a universal remote. As he pushed a button, a very large flatscreen tv rose up out of what looked like an ordinary credenza. Magical. John salivated.

"We need one of these."

"Fine, as soon as you put in a walk-in closet for me like Waverly got" Kate turned to her, "between that and the rock, every woman here will go home sufficiently jealous."

She pointed out the very large diamond on Waverly’s hand. It seemed Champ has since upgraded her ring.

"That’s from Beacon Hill, isn’t it?"

"I upgraded her. Ring 2.0" Champ laughed.

"Well we’re so happy for you guys. We were thinking you were one of those 'evolved' couples who’d never get married. And then you’d have to register your kids for school and have all those different last names going on. So messy" Kate sighed.

"We were just waiting for the right time" Waverly said.

"She gave you the ultimatum, didn’t she?" John laughed.

Waverly looked shocked. Kate swatted at him.

"John Henry!"

"Nope. Did it all on my own. It’s a funny story. When I was in Dublin, when the board called to tell us we were getting the apartment? Well, they asked if we were planning on getting married. Apparently they prefer to have married couples living here, something about showing them you’re taking your commitment to the apartment and the building seriously."

Waverly looked at Champ, confused. This was news to her.

"Anyway next thing I know I just blurted out, 'we’re getting engaged'! Just like that! I didn’t even have to think about it! It was like, ‘sure it’s kind of crazy but you know what?’, it’s right!" Champ was laughing.

He held up Waverly’s hand with the ring. 

"Ta-dah!"

Everyone continued to laugh, but Waverly didn't.

"You didn’t tell me that."

"Sure I did."

"So- you proposed to me so we could have the apartment?" she asked, aghast.

"We already had the apartment. I proposed to you so we could have everything" he tried to deflect.

He leaned in and kisses her. 

"Awww..." Kate squeaked.

Champ then turned and leaded Kate and John over to see the view. Waverly hanged back alone, still processing this.

"Look at this place. I’m afraid to put my drink down anywhere!"

Waverly turned to see her father.

"Oh, hey dad! Didn’t see you come in."

She gave him a kiss.

"Well! So Grandma Jane was right. You went all the way to Ireland and you came back engaged! Your mom would’ve thought that was hysterical..."

Waverly smiled.

"At least you can say I gave you one good piece of advice in your life."

"C’mon, that’s not true..."

"Nice try. Remember, I’m the bullshitter in the family. I know I wasn’t much of a role model for you girls with all this stuff. I mean, I’m a love at first sight kind of guy- right or wrong, I can’t help myself. That’s just the way I’m wired. But thank god you turned out different. You’re more sensible. Practical. And now look what you have to show for it."

Waverly was unsure.

"What?"

Wyatt laughed and gestured at the grand apartment.

"Everything you ever wanted, that’s all!"

Waverly nodded, but she didn't look so convinced.

"Congratulations. You know all I ever wanted was for you girls to be happy."

"You did your best, dad. I know that."

"That’s the scary part, isn’t it?"

He laughed. Waverly still looked a little distracted.

"You are happy, right?"

She looked around. It took a little too long to answer.

"Yes. I’m happy."

Her father studied her. He was not convinced, but as always, he was all talk.

"Okay, darling."

He gave her a kiss on top of her head. She hugged him, suddenly emotional, and held on a bit too long for his comfort. He stepped back.

"Oh hey, I wanna thank you again for that BlackBerry thingie. You know I can get six hundred dollars for it on Ebay?"

She tried to bring up a smile.

"Good. That’s great, dad."

"Hey, I’m kidding!"

He rattled his empty glass.

"I’m gonna get a refill."

***

Waverly was sitting on the edge of the gorgeous tub and took a deep breath. She seemed overwhelmed. And conflicted.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

"Come on, get it together."

She brushed some wrinkles from her dress and stood up.

And that’s when she heard them. Sirens.

She opened the door and saw Champ hustling into the bedroom. 

He quickly grabbed some items from his night stand. The sirens were much louder now, along with an alarm sound coming from inside the building.

"Shit shit shit..." he sweared.

"What’s going on?" Waverly asked.

"The fire department’s here. There’s a gas leak in one of the apartments so we’ve all got to evacuate. Unbelievable!" he answered, annoyed.

"What?" Waverly was confused.

He hurried out of the room, she followed.

As their friends and family hustled out to the stairs, Champ started grabbing some items from various rooms.

"They said it should be okay by tonight, but I’m not taking any chances. I got my computer and insurance papers and cash and- Where’s my new laptop??"

He rushed into the other room. Waverly slowly wandered out into the hall.

"Grab- I don’t know-- your jewelry, your good bags- anything else you want just in case it all goes up..."

He crossed back into the hall, arms carrying more stuff.

"Where the hell is my Kindle...?"

He went into the bedroom.

Waverly looked around the place. At all this stuff. She slowly sat down on a chair in the living room.

"Waverly, they want us out, like, now!"

A flashback came up. She was walking up the hill to an Irish castle, a grumpy Nicole at her side.

_"What if your flat was on fire and you had sixty seconds to grab only the most important things, what would you take? That’s all you really need."_

She watched Champ scurry around the apartment, grabbing as much as he could.

_"It’s a simple question."_

After a little while, she just stood up. And slowly walked out.

"Hey, could you grab the Bang and Olufsen thingie in the kitchen?"

He walked into the living room, arms loaded with possessions.

"Waverly- Waverly?" he was looking around in the empty apartment.

She was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Haught’s Tavern has been all cleaned up and looked great. It looked quite busy as well. Locals crowded the place for lunch.

Nicole was finishing up for the afternoon, plating the last entrees. A duck and a filet of cod.

A Waiter entered to pick them up.

„These are the last ones, yeah?“ Nicole asked, sweat on her forehead.

„That’s it.“

The Waiter exited and Nicole exhaled.

She began to clean up, shut down the burners, return things to the walk-in.

The Waiter returned, holding a plate of untouched chicken.

„‘Scuse me Chef... a diner sent their chicken back.“

„What?“

„They says it’s dry.“

Nicole looked at the plate, thoroughly offended.

„It ain’t dry. It ain’t even eaten.“

„They says they want somethin’ else“ the Waiter shrugged.

Nicole scowled, snapped the plate away from him.

„Yeah? I’ll give ‘em somethin’ else.“

She bursted through the swinging door, ready to kick the diner's arse for having bad taste.

„Dry, huh? Who of you criticizes my food?“

The guests went quiet and where looking at Nicole in awe.

„It cost me some damn blood and sweat to rebuilt this business, just for someone to criticize me even though they hasn't even taken a darn bite from the food? Bonkers! So, you brave enough to show yourself?“

She was looking around with a stern look.

„It was me.“

She turned around, ready to give a lecture.

Instead, she grew stiff at the sight of the person.

Waverly. Seated at a table in the center of the room.

The customers remained quiet.

Waverly waved awkwardly, but couldn't suppress the smile on her face. She got up from her chair.

Nicole approached her, stunned. She had so many things in her mind at this moment, didn't know what to think or feel.

This uncertainty evoked her usual reaction. Her guards were up.

„What are you doing here?“

„I was sort of hoping for 'Hello'“

„Hello. What’re you doing here?“

„Could you maybe be nice for a second? I did fly three thousand miles to get here. Plus a taxi ride. We didn’t run into any sheep though which really did cut the travel time down...“

Nicole felt like giggling at this, but another thought crossed her mind.

„Oh. Is your man with you?“

„What? No.“

„You said 'we'”.

„I meant me and the driver. Champ and I broke up.“

Nicole felt like she relaxed. Looked a bit ashamed.

„Oh. I’m- I’m sorry.“

„Yeah, well. When my sixty seconds came around, I realized... I had everything I ever wanted... but nothing I really needed.“

The customers were now fixated on the action. Nicole opened her mouth to speak, but Waverly kept going.

„And this is definitely a little crazy but I’ve logged about ten thousand miles trying to propose to someone, so that’s what I’m going to do. And I know it’s not Leap Day, but I guess in this case it doesn't matter anyway...“ she smiled at Nicole, „so.. I'm kind of hoping for a yes.“

She took a deep breath, looking beyond nervous. Everyone in the place hanged on her words.

„Nicole Haught, I think what I need is right here. And I came back to see if maybe you might think that too. And if you do, well... well I don’t have anything really planned past that, which is a new one for me.“

She smiled.

„But I propose we... not make plans. I propose we give this a chance and just let it work out how it works out.“

She exhaled.

„So what do you say? Do you want to not make plans with me?“

It was dead silent. Everyone awaited Nicoles response.

Nicole stiffened. It was like she was dreaming. Was this really happening? Was Waverly just proposing to her? Was Waverly IN LOVE with her?

To say that she was overwhelmed would be an understatement. But suddenly something clicked inside her.

„I- uhm.. excuse me.“

With that she turned and sprinted back into the kitchen.

No one said a word.

Waverly looked like she’s been punched, but tried to cover the shame.

„Okay. That kind of sounded like a no“ she attempted to laugh, „I should, uh.. I should go.“

She turned and walked quickly out of the Haught’s.

Shell-shocked and mortified she ran out into the street.

„Oh my god. That was awful, why did I do that...?!“

Tears spaing to her eyes. She walked faster. Suddenly...

„OI!“

She stopped.

„You call that a proposal?“

She turned around to see Nicole running after her, yelling.

„Ten thousand miles and that’s all you got?“

„What are you-?“ Waverly was confused.

„Should I go again?“

„No, I- you said no!“

„I didn’t say no.“

„You walked away!“

„I was getting something.“

„You think that was an appropriate timing?? What were you getting?“

Nicole quickly held up what she had in her hand.

Waverly stepped closer... and saw it was the Claddagh Ring.

„I was getting this, you idiot“ Nicole laughed.

Waverly smiled, couldn't believe it. Nicole continued.

„Honestly, a couple of days was all I needed. So hell no, I don’t want to 'not make plans' with you. I want to put this ring on your finger. Right now. Tonight.“

Nicole seemed to have broken down all her walls after Waverly's confession of wanting to be with her. Waverly beamed, near tears.

„You do?“

„Yeah... let me take over this, I really want to. Sorry for stealin' you the show.“

Nicole kneeled down, took Waverly's hand.

„Waverly... I'm going to say now what I've been too afraid of when we experienced our.. sorry.. fucked up journey to this.. sorry again.. shithole called Dublin.“

Waverly rolled her eyes but she knew Nicole said it in a funny way. And that she wasn't finished yet. She listened attentively, warm smile on her face.

„But it was also one of the most incredible journeys I've ever had. You showed me that love.. it's still out there. It's right here with us. I can feel it. I love you, Waverly. I truly do.“

Waverly started to laugh and cry at the same time.

„So.. I mean I kind of know your answer already“ Nicole laughed, „but... do you want to marry me? Do you want me to be your wife?“

Waverly put one of her hands on Nicole's cheek, smiled softly.

„I do.“

Nicole beamed all over her face, got up from the floor.

She took Waverlys finger and slid the ring on it. They looked at each other.

„Nicole, we are fucking crazy“ Waverly suddenly bursted out.

They laughed loudly.

„I mean, you had this crazy idea!! But.. who am I to say no to such an offer..“

„Hey, don't act innocent!!“ Waverly giggled, „..I loved the words you just said.“

She stepped closer to Nicole and put her arms around her own waist, holding onto her shoulders.

„I wanna say something, too“ she wispered towards Nicole.

Nicole got goosepumps being that close to Waverly again, finally being able to expess the attraction that she, in reality, had all the time.

„Oh yeah?“

„Yeah.. I love you, too.“

And then she came even closer and they KISSED.

When they broke apart Nicole swept Waverly up into a hug and then sat her down again.

„I’m so relieved. For a minute there I thought I wasn’t going to have a place to stay tonight“ Waverly laughed.

„What, you think you’re staying with me? All right, but it’s gonna cost you extra“ Nicole teased.

„Add it to my bill.“

And then Waverly pulled her in and they kissed again.

The crowd seemed to have watched the event and gathered on the street to cheer and applaude for them. The two old men were there, too.

„Look at that. And on a Sunday no less. It’s good luck to get engaged on a Sunday.“

„Aye. And end a journey...“

„And dig a well!“

„Eejit! Do they look like they’re diggin’ a well?!“

„Argh!“

„Arrghh!!“

Nicole and Waverly happily smiled at the supportive crowd.

Waverly felt like she finally belonged, for the first time in her life. Here in Ireland, in Dingle, in Nicole's arms.

She smiled up to Nicole who noticed and smiled back at her, leaning it.

„Hey, uhm.. I got a nice room in the Haught's.. wanna go there celebrate?“ she smirked.

The hint in this sentence gave Waverly a shiver down her spine.

„Please, just tell me it's different from that one I've slept in.“

Nicole just laughed and took Waverly's hand. They ran towards the tavern, all giggly.

They went up the stairs and reached Nicole's office. She lead Waverly to an attached room what seemed to be her bedroom. It wasn't special and anything but luxury, but still cozy.

„You let me sleep in that shithole back then while you got all comfortable in here?! You really are an ass, y'know that?“ Waverly teased.

Even though she knew Waverly was joking, Nicole couldn't help being embarrassed about it now.

She awkwardly laughed and rubbed the back of her head.

„Yeah, I- I'm really sorry about it now. I-“

„Hey. It's okay. I wasn't exactly an angel either. It doesn't matter now.“

She approached Nicole and took her hand.

“You right, let's talk this out later. Now we have to catch up with what we missed at Frank's and Eileen's house."

Waverly laughingly nodded and leaned in, they began to kiss again. Like it was the first time and the last time. Like they belonged together.

They moved their way to Nicole's bed, laying down on it and celebrating all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, that's it. That's the end of this cute, little story.  
> I had so much fun working on it! Thank you lots for accompanying me all the way through, I really loved reading your comments. It made me so happy and gave me so much new energy, I'm 100% down to conitinue with writing.
> 
> Be curious, but above all, be HAPPY!


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